Has there ever been any attempts to explore Pluto for its natural resources?

Question

Even being the furthest planet from the sun, is it not possible that as a planet Pluto could have natural resources that could be beneficial to Earth?

Answer 1

Pluto has never been explored. It is possible there may be useful resources there but distance is a big factor. However, there have been NO attempts to study anything beyond Earth primarily for its natural resources save maybe the Moon. NASA has been looking around the moon for frozen water deposits to create Hydrogen fuel with. No other body has been looked at for anything besides pure knowledge on the body itself and the history of the solar system.

The day space becomes a prospective gold mine of natural resources will come, but it will be quite awhile after that day that Pluto will be looked at for viable resources because of what you already stated, Pluto is FAR away!

P.S. -- Pluto isn't a planet anymore, its a dwarf planet.

Answer 2

Well.. It's kinda far away.. and It would take years for us to reach there..

Answer 3

Your main question: no.  There has never been any attempt to explore Pluto... yet.

Your second question:  it is unlikely that Pluto have resources that do not exist elsewhere in the Solar system (therefore, closer to us).  But we would not know for sure until we change the answer to 1.

Answer 4

Any resources that exist on other planets will remain there. The shipping costs would make them prohibitively expensive.

Answer 5

New Horizons is on it's way for a Pluto flyby.  Who knows what it has.  It does have a nitrogen atmosphere.

Resources?  There are likely closer resources in the asteroids that are much easier to exploit.  Imagine you find a huge amount of platinum gravel - just scoop it up.  It's still a long way home.

The easiest resources to exploit are those close at hand.  That would be the Earth.