Soyuz launches Venus Express
Posted: Wed, Nov 9, 2005, 7:25 AM ET (1225 GMT)
A Soyuz booster launched Europe's first mission to Venus early Wednesday. The Soyuz-Fregat lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 10:33 pm EST Tuesday (0333 GMT Wednesday), placing the Venus Express spacecraft on an interplanetary trajectory about 90 minutes later, after a pair of burns from the Fregat upper stage. The 1,240-kilogram Venus Express, based closely on ESA's Mars Express spacecraft, will enter orbit around Venus in April 2006. Once there, it will operate for over one year studying the planet's dense atmosphere and clouds. The spacecraft is ESA's first mission to Venus and the first spacecraft sent to study the planet since NASA's Magellan mission 15 years ago.
A Soyuz booster launched Europe's first mission to Venus early Wednesday. The Soyuz-Fregat lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 10:33 pm EST Tuesday (0333 GMT Wednesday), placing the Venus Express spacecraft on an interplanetary trajectory about 90 minutes later, after a pair of burns from the Fregat upper stage. The 1,240-kilogram Venus Express, based closely on ESA's Mars Express spacecraft, will enter orbit around Venus in April 2006. Once there, it will operate for over one year studying the planet's dense atmosphere and clouds. The spacecraft is ESA's first mission to Venus and the first spacecraft sent to study the planet since NASA's Magellan mission 15 years ago.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Saturday, February 11
Jet Propulsion Laboratory anticipating major cuts in NASA budget
KPCC-FM Pasadena, CA — 4:06 pm ET (2106 GMT) Satellites spot Syrian violence from space
Spaceflight Now — 4:05 pm ET (2105 GMT) One giant leap for former fast-food joint
Mountain View (CA) Voice — 4:04 pm ET (2104 GMT) Orion hoping for success with second generation parachute system
NasaSpaceFlight.com — 8:53 am ET (1353 GMT) Small company is sky-high
Santa Maria (CA) Times — 8:01 am ET (1301 GMT) |