Venus Express (VEX) is the first Venus exploration mission of the European Space Agency. Launched in November 2005, it arrived at Venus in April 2006 and has been continuously sending back science data from its polar orbit around Venus. Equipped with seven science instruments, the main objective of the mission is the long term observation of the Venusian atmosphere. The observation over such long periods of time has never been done in previous missions to Venus, and is key to a better understanding of the atmospheric dynamics. It is hoped that such studies can contribute to an understanding of atmospheric dynamics in general, while also contributing to an understanding of climate change on Earth. The mission is currently funded by ESA through 31 December 2014.
Additional Info
- Lead Nation: Europe
- Project Website: on ESA site
- Project Wikipedia Page: on Wikipedia
Latest from Copernical Team
- OneNav introduces new L5-direct GNSS receiver in response to increased GPS jamming
- Radioisotope thermoradiative cells: advancing power generation for outer planet missions
- EarthCARE satellite set for launch
- Lunar railway initiative aims to streamline moonbase logistics
- Mars agriculture simulations show promise and challenges
- Testing the quantumness of gravity without entanglement
- A Fluidic Telescope is enabling the Next Generation of Large Space Observatories
- Revisiting gravity: University of Waterloo researchers propose new model for cosmic anomalies
- NASA launches commercial studies to facilitate Mars robotic science
- Seeds from China's space station tested in agricultural experiments