Pluto Discovered by an American... NASA Chief Advocates Restoring Its Planetary Status

The head of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has advocated for restoring Pluto's planetary status.

According to USA Today on April 30 (local time), NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman recently stated at a Senate hearing, "I belong to the 'Make Pluto a Planet Again' camp," and added, "I hope the scientific community will revisit this discussion."

Administrator Isaacman also hinted that multiple research reports related to restoring Pluto's status as a planet are being prepared at NASA.

▲In July 2015, the New Horizons spacecraft successfully captured close-up images of Pluto. [Photo by NASA]

Pluto, discovered in 1930 and classified as the ninth planet in the solar system, was downgraded to a dwarf planet in August 2006 by the International Astronomical Union (IAU). This decision was made because Pluto and Neptune have overlapping orbits, meaning Pluto does not meet the criterion of being gravitationally dominant within its orbital zone. The discovery of Eris in 2005 further revealed that there are many similar celestial bodies in Pluto's vicinity.

In the United States, efforts to restore Pluto's status have continued. Interest in Pluto increased during the presidency of U.S. President Donald Trump, as it is the only solar system planet discovered by an American.

During Trump's first term, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine asserted, "Pluto is a planet," and Isaacman, who was appointed during the second term, has also repeatedly made the same claim.

Meanwhile, Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, has also expressed his support for the debate over Pluto's status, stating, "I support this as well."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.