Martha H Adams wrote:

I think this is a good topic, but it misses the elephant in the room.
In two ways.  Firstly, it's over *peanuts* of money at the federal
level.  I don't think it costs a "lot" to spend a few megabucks a year
to get data back from the heliopause and beyond.  Not on today's money

Indeed, there is good science there still. Also, we have nothing else that far out other than the even more aged pioneers.

The question is cost vs new science. How important is it to map out the boundary of the heliopause? How important is it to measure the particles beyond?

What /other/ science could be advanced for the same cost and effort?

All bad and difficult questions!

Take care not to get lost in sentimentality. If the heliopause is so interesting, we should send a fast fleet of fast mini-probes to map the boundary and environment.


More curious and significant might be the pioneer acceleration anomaly...

Regards,
Martin