Soyuz launches Venus Express
Posted: Wed, Nov 9, 2005, 8:25 AM ET (1325 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
|
|
Friday, April 25
Boeing reports progress on containing Starliner costs
Space News — 5:52 am ET (0952 GMT) Katalyst Space acquires Atomos to accelerate in-space services
Space News — 5:51 am ET (0951 GMT) Okapi raises 13 million euros to expand space traffic management suite
Space News — 5:51 am ET (0951 GMT) Hidden and hampered: elevating the Office of Commercial Space Transportation
Space News — 5:51 am ET (0951 GMT) Shenzhou-20 crewed spacecraft arrives at Tiangong space station
Space News — 5:51 am ET (0951 GMT) |
