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Make this your homepage Artist's impression of Venus Express orbiting Venus LAUNCH DATE: 09-Nov-2005 03:33 UT   MISSION END: 31 December 2012 (extended mission), subject to a mid-term review in 2010 LAUNCH VEHICLE: Soyuz-Fregat rocket LAUNCH MASS: 1270 kg MISSION PHASE: Operational ORBIT: The operational orbit of Venus Express is a 24-hour elliptical, quasi-polar orbit. ACHIEVEMENTS: 11 April 2006 - Successful VOI Manoeuvre Final Operational Orbit: May 2006 THE MISSION: Venus Express is a follow on from the Mars Express mission. Many of the instruments on the mission are simply upgraded versions of those on the Mars Express platform. After a 153 day cruise to Venus the spacecraft entered Venusian orbit on 11 April 2006. NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS Mission extensions approved for science missions Venus Express unveils the cause of Venus' global cloud patterns Venus Express reaches lowest pericentre altitude SPECIAL SITES Results from Venus Express Coordinated Ground-based Observation Campaign Venus Amateur Observation Results Venus Amateur Observing Project Venus Express Education Website LATEST STATUS REPORT 18 November 2009 11 November 2009 4 November 2009 SPECIAL FEATURES Venus Express mission report from 37th COSPAR meeting LATEST PUBLICATIONS Atmospheric structure and dynamics as the cause of ultraviolet markings in the clouds of Venus Venus as a more Earth-like planet Morphology and dynamics of the upper cloud layer of Venus South-polar features on Venus similar to those near the north pole A dynamic upper atmosphere of Venus as revealed by VIRTIS on Venus Express MULTIMEDIA

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