Flight International online news 13:00GMT: Europe’s first space probe to investigate the planet Venus is ready for launch on schedule on 26 October 2005.
Venus Express, built by EADS Astrium as prime contractor for the European Space Agency (ESA), will be launched aboard a Starsem Soyuz-Fregat launch vehicle, from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. EADS owns 35% of Starsem with Arianespace holding a further 15%.
Venus Express is one of the least costly missions to be sent to Venus. Including in-orbit support operations up to the final handover in April 2006, the spacecraft programme has cost €84.2 million ( US$ 11.5 million).
This achievement has only been made possible by re-using the same satellite design as for the successful Mars Express mission, and six scientific instruments used on the Rosetta and Mars Express missions.
The probe is expected to investigate the atmosphere of Venus, the hottest planet in terms of structure, composition and dynamics, for two Venusian years (the equivalent of 500 Earth days), and will orbit the second planet of the solar system at an altitude of between 250 and 66,000 kilometres by flying above its poles.
Scientists says analysing and understanding the prevailing conditions in the atmosphere and in the near environment of Venus is of critical importance to understanding long term climatic processes governing the evolution of life on Earth.
ROSS BENTLEY/LONDON
Source: Flight International
