Mission ECHO

As humans continue to accelerate the capabilities of space technology, we should reflect on the events of the past in order to prepare for the challenges of the future. In order to do this efficiently, we need to gather data about remnants of the solar system’s formation. This is why I would like to present Mission ECHO (Exploring Celestial Horizons in Orbit). This mission will be a flyby past the Kuiper-Belt to observe Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs). You can think of TNOs as distant frozen time capsules. This mission will gather valuable data because the Kuiper-Belt is considered to be an "echo" of the formation of the solar system, and the unaltered TNOs will provide clues about how and why the Solar System has taken on its current form. However, there is one major problem! We need power and the Kuiper-Belt has very little sunlight, so a regular solar panel wouldn’t do the trick. This is why it is crucial to use Radioisotope Power Systems (RPS); As the plutonium-238 from RPS decays, heat energy is emitted, providing us with a source of power. This technology overcomes the limitations of regular solar panels as RPS is not bound to a close energy source and allows us to explore without constraint. I believe that ECHO will be a successful mission because my “superpower” is having a versatile perspective. By weaving the ideas and perspectives of other people, I can adopt a more holistic perspective that will better support the success of this mission.