Venus Express atmospheric drag measurements
Date: 06 October 2010
Copyright: Animation courtesy of P. Rosenblatt, Royal Observatory of Belgium
This animation demonstrates the orbital perturbations due to atmospheric drag experienced by Venus Express just around the pericentre pass of its orbit, at an altitude below 200 km. The orbital perturbation results in a shrinking of the elliptical orbit of Venus Express: the apocentre altitude, or the point along the orbit which is the farthest from the planet, is lowered, and the orbit becomes slightly less elliptical and more circular (the effect has been exaggerated in the animation).
Last Update: 1 September 2019