Aster › Space program › Proteus
Proteus
Position on the route: 72/130 · level needed 245 · journey (Mk0 engine) 50.1 h
By the numbers
| Diameter | ≈ 420 km |
|---|---|
| Year | 26.9 hours |
| Distance | 117,600 km |
| Discovered | 1989, Voyager 2 |
The story
Proteus is Neptune’s largest inner moon and about the largest body that gravity has not pulled into a sphere. No one had seen it until Voyager 2 in 1989: Neptune’s glare hid it. The surface is dark (10 % albedo) and irregular; the 255-km Pharos basin nearly broke it apart.
Close to Neptune, the planet’s tides keep squeezing it. In the game, the Neptune system’s easily reached second stop.
Missions
- Voyager 2 (1989): discovery and imaging
Colony note
Dark, cold and irregular. An observation station.
What probes bring back
- Found by Voyager 2 (1989): about as large as a body can be without pulling itself round; ≈420 km.
- A dark surface (10 % albedo); the 255-km Pharos basin nearly broke it apart.