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 will be 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 manoeuvre 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.
Key Dates and Facts:
- Nov 2005: Launch
- Apr 2006: Venus Arrival
- Status: In Development
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