A future Uranus mission, perhaps in the 2040s, could test whether Miranda is a rebuilt fragment, shedding light on how many worlds the solar system once contained.

The study argues Miranda may be a reconstructed remnant that reflects chaos from past planetary instability, supporting the idea that the solar system once hosted more planets.

Uranus’ moons, especially Miranda with its patchwork terrain and geologic activity, could bear witness to the solar system’s chaotic past and are seen as debris from a larger body.

A violent early history of the solar system may have seen giant planets destabilize and eject one or more planets into interstellar space, with clues possibly found in the moons of Jupiter and especially Uranus.

In most simulations (about 85%), Uranus’ moon system collapses, and the surviving cases align with the missing-planet hypothesis, suggesting past planetary instability shaped Uranus’ moons.

While not conclusive proof, findings point to moons, Trojans, Jupiter’s asteroids, and the Oort cloud as possible archives of ancient planetary ejections.

An Icarus study of 122 instability scenarios concludes that the present Uranus moon system is best explained by episodes of violent instability involving one or more now-missing planets.