Venus Express enters orbit
Posted: Tue, Apr 11, 2006, 6:24 PM ET (2224 GMT)
Venus Express, ESA's first mission to the planet Venus, entered orbit around the cloud-enshrouded world Tuesday. The spacecraft, launched in November 2005, fired its main engine for 50 minutes started at 3:17 am EDT (0717 GMT), slowing the spacecraft by 4,00 km/h and allowing it to be captured into orbit by Venus. The spacecraft, currently in an elliptical orbit, will perform a series of maneuvers to move into its final polar orbit at an altitude of 66,000 km. Venus Express will spend two Venusian days (486 Earth days) studying the planet's dense atmosphere. Venus Express uses much of the same hardware as ESA's successful Mars Express, although with different instruments and other adaptations to accommodate studies of Venus.
Venus Express, ESA's first mission to the planet Venus, entered orbit around the cloud-enshrouded world Tuesday. The spacecraft, launched in November 2005, fired its main engine for 50 minutes started at 3:17 am EDT (0717 GMT), slowing the spacecraft by 4,00 km/h and allowing it to be captured into orbit by Venus. The spacecraft, currently in an elliptical orbit, will perform a series of maneuvers to move into its final polar orbit at an altitude of 66,000 km. Venus Express will spend two Venusian days (486 Earth days) studying the planet's dense atmosphere. Venus Express uses much of the same hardware as ESA's successful Mars Express, although with different instruments and other adaptations to accommodate studies of Venus.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
New Virgin Galactic spaceplane arrives at Spaceport America
Posted: Sat, Oct 31 10:38 AM ET (1438 GMT) |
|
news links
|
|
Sunday, November 1
NASA's Swift spacecraft is on the verge of plunging back to Earth after failed rescue mission
The Independent — 8:08 am ET (1308 GMT) From hotels on the moon to a life-changing 'overview effect', veteran NASA astronaut lifts the lid on the future of space travel
The Daily Mail — 8:07 am ET (1307 GMT) NASA's Swift space telescope is about to crash to Earth. Where will it fall?
SPACE.com — 8:06 am ET (1306 GMT) MDA lands IRIS² antenna work as space index falls 2.2 per cent
SpaceQ — 8:05 am ET (1305 GMT) Canadian MDA Space Secures €64 Million IRIS2 Antenna Agreement
European Spaceflight — 8:00 am ET (1300 GMT) |
