<p>Avoiding hard math, which I'm not very good at, the simple answer is yes, provided there's enough distance.   Pluto/Charon have 4 moons orbiting them a bit further away, all in relatively stable orbits.   <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moons_of_Pluto#Small_moons" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p>

<p>Here's distances to <a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d8/Pluto_and_Charon_system_new.png/3600px-Pluto_and_Charon_system_new.png" rel="nofollow">scale</a>.  - same source.</p>

<p>Because the ratio of gravitational field strength to size is exponential (Power of 1.5), the apparent closeness of Pluto and Charon to the 4 small moons looks unusual, but it's perfectly acceptable for objects of that size.</p>

<p>Lagrange point stability requires a mass ratio of about 26 to 1.  (.0385 to 1 per <a href="http://www.spaceacademy.net.au/library/notes/lagrangp.htm" rel="nofollow">source</a>).  The Earth has satellites in unstable Lagrange points, so it's certainly doable, it's just not technically "stable".</p>

<p>The hardest part about getting a satellite to orbit Pluto is that Pluto's sufficiently small that any ship that approaches it would need to slow down significantly on it's own to get captured into a Pluto Orbit.   That's why New Horizon was a flyby, not an orbit. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-10-21T06:08:15.290Z
2015-10-21T06:08:15.290Z
userLTK
<p>Yes it is possible if you have the probe orbiting the Pluto-Charon system at one their Lagrange points.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-10-21T05:30:57.730Z
I hate to say it, but this is incorrect.    Charon is too close to Pluto's mass so there are no stable Lagrange points in that system.   It might be possible with regular adjustments, but it wouldn't be a stable orbit.
userLTK
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-10-21T03:11:57.887Z
2015-10-21T03:11:57.887Z
ObiWanKenobi
<p>Is it possible for a man-made probe to orbit Pluto given its closeness to Charon? The gravitational field interaction of Pluto and Charon is likely to make simple orbit structure difficult for a man-made probe. Thanks for your insight.</p>

<orbit><pluto><charon>
Can a probe orbit Pluto given Charon's gravity?
rnso
# Can a probe orbit Pluto given Charon's gravity?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-10-16)

Is it possible for a man-made probe to orbit Pluto given its closeness to Charon? The gravitational field interaction of Pluto and Charon is likely to make simple orbit structure difficult for a man-made probe. Thanks for your insight.

**Tags:** orbit, pluto, charon


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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2015-10-21. Score: 4

Avoiding hard math, which I'm not very good at, the simple answer is yes, provided there's enough distance. Pluto/Charon have 4 moons orbiting them a bit further away, all in relatively stable orbits. [Source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moons_of_Pluto#Small_moons)

Here's distances to [scale](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d8/Pluto_and_Charon_system_new.png/3600px-Pluto_and_Charon_system_new.png). - same source.

Because the ratio of gravitational field strength to size is exponential (Power of 1.5), the apparent closeness of Pluto and Charon to the 4 small moons looks unusual, but it's perfectly acceptable for objects of that size.

Lagrange point stability requires a mass ratio of about 26 to 1. (.0385 to 1 per [source](http://www.spaceacademy.net.au/library/notes/lagrangp.htm)). The Earth has satellites in unstable Lagrange points, so it's certainly doable, it's just not technically "stable".

The hardest part about getting a satellite to orbit Pluto is that Pluto's sufficiently small that any ship that approaches it would need to slow down significantly on it's own to get captured into a Pluto Orbit. That's why New Horizon was a flyby, not an orbit.


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### Answer by username_2 on 2015-10-21. Score: 1

Yes it is possible if you have the probe orbiting the Pluto-Charon system at one their Lagrange points.

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I hate to say it, but this is incorrect.    Charon is too close to Pluto's mass so there are no stable Lagrange points in that system.   It might be possible with regular adjustments, but it wouldn't be a stable orbit.  

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