Japan's Institute of Space and Astronautical Science plans to launch a spacecraft to Venus in February 2007.
Described as a Venus "weather satellite", the spacecraft will enter orbit around the planet in September 2009, using an Earth swing-by in June 2008.
The vehicle will study the movement, extreme rotation and flow of the carbon dioxide clouds - which reach 100m/s (19,000ft/min).
The thick atmosphere has created an extreme greenhouse effect on the surface, with temperatures of 470íC (880íF), an atmospheric pressure 100 times that of the Earth and sulphuric acid clouds at lower levels. The clouds also contain fountain-like electric discharges, aurora and airglow.
Source: Flight International
