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| First Venus Express public data release |
| Data from the VMC, SPICAV-SOIR, VIRTIS and MAG instruments on Venus Express have been delivered to the ESA Planetary System Archive and are now freely available to interested users. These data have been the basis for some of the first scientific highlights from the Venus Express mission. |
| Date: 22 Sep 2008 |
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| A three-dimensional view of variable winds in the cloud layers on Venus |
| A detailed, three-dimensional view of the wind speeds and directions in the cloud layers of Venus has been obtained with the VIRTIS instrument on Venus Express. This study, which benefited from an extensive and homogeneous data set, contributes to a better understanding of the temporal and spatial behaviour of the winds on Venus. |
| Date: 18 Sep 2008 |
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| ESA Bulletin 135: Exploring Venus - Answering the Big Questions with Venus Express |
| The August 2008 issue of ESA's flagship magazine, the ESA Bulletin, features an article presenting some of the most important science results from Venus Express - results which could answer some of the greatest mysteries about our nearest planetary neighbour. |
| Date: 19 Aug 2008 |
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| Venus Express to fly closer to Venus |
| A series of orbit control manoeuvres (OCMs) is underway to alter the orbit of the Venus Express spacecraft, with the goal of reducing the pericentre altitude to 185 km. These manoeuvres, which began on 13 July, provide new opportunities for scientific observations of regions which have not been probed by the spacecraft so far. |
| Date: 15 Jul 2008 |
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| Venus Express provides first detection of hydroxyl in atmosphere of Venus |
| The VIRTIS instrument on Venus Express has made the first detection of hydroxyl in the atmosphere of Venus. This provides new insight into the dynamics of the upper atmosphere and the climate system of the planet. The results are published in the May 2008 issue of Astronomy & Astrophysics. |
| Date: 15 May 2008 |
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| Venus Express Mission Extension |
| The Science Programme Committee at its meeting on 23 February 2007 has unanimously approved an extension of the Venus Express mission operations, pushing back the mission end date to early-May 2009. |
| Date: 28 Feb 2007 |
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| Welcome to our Mysterious Neighbour |
| An invitation to teachers to a hands on workshop on 20 September at the European Planetary Science Congress 2006 in Berlin. |
| Date: 09 Aug 2006 |
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| Science Orbit Achieved |
| On 7 May 2006, after a series of orbital control manoeuvres, Venus Express entered its nominal science operations orbit. |
| Date: 09 May 2006 |
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| First Images from Venus Express |
| ESA's Venus Express has returned the first-ever images of the Venusian south pole, from a distance of 206 452 kilometres, showing surprisingly clear structures and unexpected detail. The images were taken 12 April during the spacecraft's initial capture orbit after successful arrival on 11 April 2006. |
| Date: 13 Apr 2006 |
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| Venus Express Enters Orbit |
Venus Express has arrived at Venus after a 50 minute burn of the main engine and entered orbit around the planet.
More details at http://venus.esa.int |
| Date: 10 Apr 2006 |
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| Venus Express Announcement of Opportunity |
| To: the scientific community, the SPC delegates, the SSWG, AWG and FPAG |
| Date: 01 Feb 2006 |
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| Venus Express Announcement of Opportunity |
| This Announcement of Opportunity (AO) solicits the participation of the scientific community in the Venus Express Programme to increase further the scientific return of the selected investigations and of the mission as a whole. |
| Date: 01 Feb 2006 |
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| Venus Express - Update on Launch Delay |
| Following the announcement of the Venus Express launch delay due to particulate contamination found in the launcher fairing where the spacecraft was installed, ESA staff and industry teams have started an inspection of the spacecraft. This recovery 'investigation procedure' has so far revealed a spacecraft in good status. |
| Date: 27 Oct 2005 |
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| Venus Express Launch on Hold |
| During the final preparations for the launch of the European Space Agency's Venus Express spacecraft by a Soyuz-Fregat launcher, contamination was detected inside the launcher's fairing. |
| Date: 21 Oct 2005 |
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| SPICAV: PRODEX participation to Venus Express |
| On 9 November 2005, Venus Express the first European mission to Venus, Earth's nearest planetary neighbour, was launched on a Russian Soyuz-Fregat rocket from Baikonur, Kazakhstan. |
| Date: 06 Sep 2005 |
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| Spacecraft Testing Continues |
| The Venus Express spacecraft is entering the final stages of testing as its launch date in October approaches.
Following a successful test of the solar panel deployment the spacecraft is now being prepared for vibration testing. |
| Date: 11 Jan 2005 |
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| Images of Venus Express In Build |
| The Venus Express spacecraft has been assembled at Alenia, Torino over the past 5 months. At the time of these photographs, the satellite was in its "open" configuration, to allow testing of individual units and subsystems once mounted on the spacecraft structure. |
| Date: 05 Oct 2004 |
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| Venus Express Testing in Alenia |
The Venus Express spacecraft, with all panels open, under assembly and test in Alenia, Torino (3 July 2004). Most of the spacecraft units providing power, radio-frequency, attitude control and on board data handling functions have been mounted on the structure and tested. |
| Date: 12 Jul 2004 |
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| Fifteen days after the launch of Mars Express, Europe has reaffirmed its trust in Soyuz: next stop Venus in 2005! |
| Just two weeks after the flawless launch of Mars Express on its way towards the Red Planet, ESA and the European-Russian company Starsem reinforced their relationship with the signature of the Venus Express launch services agreement. |
| Date: 19 Jun 2003 |
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| Greenhouse effects... also on other planets |
| Our planet is warming up, and experts warn that the consequences will be serious. To see precisely how the process works, scientists need as much information as possible and from many different sources. There are valuable clues out in space. ESA's missions to Venus, Mars, and Saturn's moon Titan will soon provide useful information to understand how our own planet's climate is regulated. |
| Date: 14 Feb 2003 |
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