Pluto is on the pinkish-red side of the spectrum. This is due to reflection from materials on Pluto's surface, primarily nitrogen and methane with small bits of other compounds. Planned Launch is December, 2004. Flight time is from about 8 to 14 years depending on the launch vehicle and trajectory used. Costs are under study at this time.
Detailed study requires a close-up look.
A mission called Pluto-Kuiper Express, managed by JPL, would fly past Pluto and its moon Charon, and study Kuiper Disk objects. The outer region of our solar system is home to Pluto and its moon Charon, Neptune's giant moon Triton, and frozen remnants of the nebula from which the solar system formed. To further understanding of these icy bodies, a National Research Council report recommends combining tried and true methods, such as telescopic observations and spacecraft missions, with new interdisciplinary ventures by astronomers, chemists, and biologists. In Greek mythology, Charon was the boatman who ferried dead souls across the river Styx, to Pluto's realm. The name was given to the moon by its discoverer, James Christy of the U.S. Naval Observatory.