Venus Express:
Overview
Venus Express is the European Space Agency's first mission to Earth's nearest planetary neighbour,
Venus. The mission is reusing the same design as ESA's Mars Express.
Many of the spare instruments developed for ESA's Mars Express and Rosetta missions will be used to achieve Venus Express's science objectives, which are to study the atmosphere in great detail.
Venus Express was carried into space by a Soyuz-Fregat rocket and placed immediately in its transfer orbit to Venus. Its journey through space will last 153 days. Once it is captured by Venusian gravity, Venus Express will take 5 days to manuver into its operation orbit, looping around the poles of the planet. At its closest, it will reach an altitude of 250 kilometers and at its furthest, it will be 66.000 kilometers away from the planet. The mapping mission is due to last for 2 Venusian days, roughly 500 Earth days.
Visit the Venus Express Website
