Charon, Pluto’s largest moon, sits locked in a slow gravitational dance with its parent and preserves clues about the outer Solar System’s history. Its varied terrain — cliffs, canyons, and a striking polar region — has made it a focus for both telescopic study and mission planners.
There are 6 Space Missions to Charon, ranging from Hubble Space Telescope observations to a proposed Pluto Orbiter; for each mission you’ll find below a concise table listing Status, Launch year(s), and Closest approach (km), along with brief notes on objectives and key findings — you’ll find below the full list and details.
How have spacecraft and telescopes studied Charon?
Telescopes like Hubble provide long-term monitoring and compositional clues, while spacecraft flybys deliver high-resolution images and in situ measurements; missions combine long cruise trajectories, gravity assists, and careful timing to overcome low sunlight, long communications delays, and thermal constraints.
What do the Status, Launch year(s), and Closest approach (km) columns tell me?
Status shows whether a mission is planned, active, completed, or canceled; Launch year(s) gives the launch date or range; Closest approach (km) indicates the minimum distance to Charon — a key factor for image resolution and the kinds of science a mission could accomplish.
Space Missions to Charon
| Mission | Status | Launch year(s) | Closest approach (km) |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Horizons | Completed | 2006 | 29,473 |
| Persephone | Proposed | 2031 | 200 |
| Pluto Orbiter | Planned | 2030s | TBD |
| Pluto Kuiper Express | Cancelled | 2004 | TBD |
| Hubble Space Telescope | Observational | 1990 | N/A |
| James Webb Space Telescope | Observational | 2021 | N/A |
Images and Descriptions
New Horizons
The first and only spacecraft to visit Charon, performing a historic flyby in 2015. It revealed a complex world with vast canyons, mountains, and a reddish polar cap, fundamentally changing our understanding of this distant moon.
Persephone
A proposed orbiter mission to study the Pluto-Charon system for several years. It aims to map both bodies in high resolution, analyze their geology and atmospheres, and investigate mysteries raised by New Horizons, like Charon’s past cryovolcanism.
Pluto Orbiter
A high-priority flagship mission concept recommended by the U.S. National Academies. It would enter orbit around the Pluto-Charon system, enabling long-term, detailed study of Charon’s surface, interior structure, and its interaction with Pluto.
Pluto Kuiper Express
A precursor mission to New Horizons that was cancelled in 2000 due to budget constraints. Its science objectives included the first reconnaissance flyby of the Pluto-Charon system, with specific plans to map and characterize both bodies.
Hubble Space Telescope
From Earth orbit, Hubble conducted dedicated campaigns to study Charon. It provided the first clear images resolving the moon, refined its orbit for New Horizons’ navigation, and made key discoveries about its water-ice surface composition before the flyby.
James Webb Space Telescope
JWST uses its powerful infrared instruments for dedicated studies of Charon from its distant vantage point. Its approved observation programs aim to create detailed compositional maps, searching for organic molecules and other materials not detected by New Horizons.
