Posted: Sat, Oct 22, 2005, 10:40 AM ET (1440 GMT)
Russia has delayed the launch of ESA's first mission to Venus for several days to correct a problem with the spacecraft's launch vehicle. A Soyuz was scheduled to launch Venus Express on October 26 from Baikonur. However, on Friday Russian officials announced the launch would be delayed after technicians discovered contamination inside the launch vehicle's payload fairing. Removing the contamination and performing additional checks will delay the launch for "several days", according to ESA; Itar-Tass reported Saturday the launch would likely be delayed seven to ten days. Venus Express, based on spacecraft designed for ESA's Mars Express mission, will enter orbit around Venus in April 2006 to perform studies of the planet's dense atmosphere.

Related Links:

•  Itar-Tass article
•  SPACE.com article
•  BBC article
•  AFP article
•  ESA press release