Tag: Venus
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Space Science in 2026: New lunar explorers, Mars missions, and space telescopes
With many missions on the manifest, the new year promises to be packed with space science. Two interplanetary spacecraft will arrive at their destinations as another Mars window opens in late 2026. Meanwhile, multiple space telescopes have their launch dates set for this year, and the schedule promises an increased cadence for lunar missions. The…
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Magellan data provides new insight into tectonic processes on Venus
Over 30 years after its demise in the Venusian atmosphere, NASA’s Magellan mission recently provided new insight into tectonic processes on Venus. Scientists studied large, rounded geologic features called coronae by combining gravity measurements and topography data collected by Magellan throughout its mission. Not only does the new study shed light on Venus’ geology, but…
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A Soviet-era spacecraft built to land on Venus is falling to Earth instead
Kosmos 482, a Soviet-era spacecraft shrouded in Cold War secrecy, will reenter the Earth’s atmosphere in the next few days after misfiring on a journey to Venus more than 50 years ago. On average, a piece of space junk the size of Kosmos 482, with a mass of about a half-ton, falls into the atmosphere…
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A Soviet-era spacecraft built to land on Venus is falling to Earth instead
Kosmos 482, a Soviet-era spacecraft shrouded in Cold War secrecy, will reenter the Earth’s atmosphere in the next few days after misfiring on a journey to Venus more than 50 years ago. On average, a piece of space junk the size of Kosmos 482, with a mass of about a half-ton, falls into the atmosphere…
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Magellan data unveils ongoing volcanic activity on the surface of Venus
In May 1989, NASA launched its Magellan mission to Venus with the goal of mapping the entire surface of the planet using synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and measuring the planet’s magnetic field. Magellan would prove to be a very successful mission that met many of its scientific goals, including producing the most detailed map of…
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Our only mission at Venus may have just gone dark
JAXA, the Japanese space agency, confirmed Wednesday that it has lost communication with its Akatsuki spacecraft in orbit around Venus. In its update, the space agency said it failed to establish communications in late April after the spacecraft had difficulty maintaining its attitude. This likely means there is some sort of thruster issue on the…
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ESA’s BepiColombo probe conducts third flyby of Mercury
The European Space Agency’s (ESA) BepiColombo spacecraft, which is in the midst of its seven-year journey to Mercury, has successfully completed its third flyby of the solar system’s innermost planet. BepiColombo passed 236 kilometers over the night side of Mercury on Monday, June 19 at 19:34 UTC, and started imaging with its monitoring cameras as…
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BepiColombo, Solar Orbiter collect data on Venus during historic double flyby
On August 9, 2021, the joint ESA/NASA Solar Orbiter spacecraft performed a flyby of Venus, coming within 7,995 km of the Venusian surface. Just 33 hours later, on August 10, the joint ESA/JAXA BepiColombo spacecraft flew by the planet, coming within 552 km of the surface. The historic double flyby was a result of the…
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Exploring VERITAS, one of NASA’s new missions to Venus
Selected as a finalist alongside three other missions for NASA’s next Discovery program missions in February 2020, the Jet Propulsion Lab’s VERITAS mission was chosen by NASA as one of the agency’s next two planetary research missions on June 2, 2021. VERITAS (Venus Emissivity, Radio Science, InSAR, Topography, and Spectroscopy), like the European Space Agency’s…
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Exploring VERITAS, one of NASA’s new missions to Venus
Selected as a finalist alongside three other missions for NASA’s next Discovery program missions in February 2020, the Jet Propulsion Lab’s VERITAS mission was chosen by NASA as one of the agency’s next two planetary research missions on June 2, 2021. VERITAS (Venus Emissivity, Radio Science, InSAR, Topography, and Spectroscopy), like the European Space Agency’s…