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    Venus Express Enters Orbit

    10 Apr 2006

    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

    ESOC Main Control Room, 57 minutes before start of main engine burn

    10 to 11 April 2006: Final preparations for the manoeuvre
    24 hours to 12 hours before VOI, spacecraft controllers will command Venus Express into its final configuration for the burn.

    11 April 2006, 06:03 (UT): Venus Express slew manoeuvre
    This manoeuvre lasts about half an hour and rotates Venus Express so that the main engine faces the direction of motion.

    11 April 2006 07:07 (UT): start of Venus Express Orbit Insertion Activities

    Event Spacecraft Time
    (UTC)         		Ground Receive
    Time (UTC)
    VOI LSP start 07:07:59 07:14:44

    VOI main engine start 07:10:29 07:17:14

    Pericentre passage 07:36:37

    Eclipse start 07:37:45

    Occultation start
    (loss of S-band signal)    		 07:38:27 07:45:12

    Occultation end 07:48:33 07:55:18

    Eclipse end 07:55:13

    VOI burn end 08:00:42 08:07:28

     

    12 to 13 April 2006: Spacecraft full reactivation starts
    During the 24 hours following the orbital capture, time will be dedicated to reactivate all spacecraft functions, including all internal monitoring capacity.


    Last Update: 12 Apr 2006

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