ESA Science & Technology - ESA at Venus!

Publication date: 16 May 2006

Journal: ESA Bulletin
Volume: 126
Page: 8-9
Year: 2006

Copyright: ESA

At 07:17 UT (09:17 CEST) on 11 April 2006, the Venus Express spacecraft fired its main engine to enter orbit around Earth's sister planet, making ESA the first space agency to have vehicles orbiting the Moon, Mars and Venus at the same time. With this latest success, the Agency hasadded another celestial body to its range of targets in the Solar System. ESA is operating Mars Express around Mars and SMART-1 around the Moon, and is a partner on the Cassini orbiter circling Saturn. ESA also has the Rosetta spacecraft en route to Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.