ESA - Venus Express

[flynn]

And the latest news.<br /><br /><b>Venus Express launch campaign starts</b><br /><br /> <br />3 August 2005<br />ESA’s Venus Express spacecraft has just completed its last phase of testing in Europe and is ready to be shipped to its launch site at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.<br /> <br />One and a half years after its sister spacecraft Mars Express arrived at Mars, Europe’s newest planetary probe is ready to depart on the first leg of its journey to Earth’s own sister planet, the mysterious Venus. <br />Venus Express was proposed in 2001, as a mission concept to take as much as possible of the Mars Express design and use it for another planetary mission. <br /><br />The mission to Venus was officially approved in 2002 by ESA’s Science Programme Committee, and the industrial contract to build the spacecraft was awarded in October 2002 to EADS Astrium, leading a team of 25 subcontractors from 14 European countries. <br /><br />Full Story (its a good read) <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#800080">"All God does is watch us and kill us when we get boring. We must never, ever be boring" - <strong>Chuck Palahniuk</strong>.</font> </div>

 

[flynn]

Question and Answer session with Launch Campaign Manager Michael Witting.<br /><br /><br />http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Venus_Express/SEM5S4908BE_0.html<br /><br /><br />2 Months to launch.<br /><br /><br />(2 days diffence between launch date and Flynn Jnr Launch date. Looks like we got a race on our hands.) <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#800080">"All God does is watch us and kill us when we get boring. We must never, ever be boring" - <strong>Chuck Palahniuk</strong>.</font> </div>

 

[mikejz]

Does this probe contain the relay equipment as in Mars Express to support any landers/balloons that might happen in the future?

 

[flynn]

Heres some information.<br /><br />The objective of the spacecraft design is to satisfy the Venus Express mission requirements while making extensive reuse of the Mars Express design, so deriving cost benefits through recurrence and minimising development risks. As a consequence, the Venus Express spacecraft has the following similarities to Mars Express:<br /><br />System concept - body mounted instruments, fixed communications antennas, two solar arrays with one degree of freedom pointing mechanisms <br /><br />Structural design - minor, local changes to accommodate the revised instrument payload <br /><br />Propulsion subsystem - higher fuel load to meet more stringent delta V requirement <br /><br />Avionics units - limited changes to reflect new mission profile <br /><br />Operational concept - alternating between Venus observation during specific portions of the orbit and Earth communication and battery charging at other times<br /><br /><br />However, there are some Venus Express mission characteristics that have lead to design changes, primarily in the areas of thermal control, communications and electrical power:<br /><br />Science mission - additional and/or revised instruments must be accommodated (MAG, VeRa, VIRTIS and VMC) and two instruments that were design drivers for Mars Express have been removed (BEAGLE and MARSIS) <br /><br />Proximity to the Sun - since Venus is closer to the Sun than Mars (0.72 AU instead of 1.5 AU), the radiant heating of the spacecraft is four times greater for Venus Express, the ionising radiation environment is harsher and the illumination of the solar panels is more intense <br /><br />Configuration of planets - in Mars orbit, the Earth vector is always within ± 40 degrees of the Sun vector, which assists with keeping the spacecraft cold face pointed away from the Sun during Earth communication, while, in orbit around an inner planet such as Venus, this convenience is not available <br /><br />Distance to earth - Venus maximum distance from Eart <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#800080">"All God does is watch us and kill us when we get boring. We must never, ever be boring" - <strong>Chuck Palahniuk</strong>.</font> </div>

 

[flynn]

And some more.<br /><br />Operation phases<br />There are two different phases of operations for Venus Express once it is in operational orbit: the Earth Pointing phase and the Observation phase. <br /><br />1) Earth Pointing phase<br /><br />This phase is dedicated to communication with Earth and battery charging. It is used whenever the spacecraft is not in the observation phase. In the Earth pointing phase, one of the two High Gain Antennas is oriented towards Earth. The antenna is selected according to the season, so that the spacecraft's cold face remains always protected from illumination by the Sun:<br /><br />The main High Gain Antenna HGA1, derived from Mars Express but with a smaller diameter (1.3 m instead of 1.6 m), will be used during three fourth of the mission, when the spacecraft is the most distant from Earth. In the middle of this period, Venus is in superior conjunction. <br />The second High Gain Antenna HGA2, derived from Rosetta, will be used during the remaining one fourth of the mission, when Venus is closer to Earth. In the middle of this period, Venus is in inferior conjuction.<br />The rotation angle around the Earth direction is optimised in order to avoid any entrance of Sun light on the side walls radiators.<br /><br />High rate communication will be performed 8 hours per day in X-band, in order to transmit to Earth all science data stored in the Solid State Mass Memory. An average of 2 Gbits of science data will be downlinked every day to the new ESA ground station of Cebreros, Spain. <br /><br /><br /><br />Both found at ESA Portal - full artical, http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/object/index.cfm?fobjectid=37357 <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#800080">"All God does is watch us and kill us when we get boring. We must never, ever be boring" - <strong>Chuck Palahniuk</strong>.</font> </div>

 

[gregoire]

Will it be possible for Venus Express to "see" the surface of Venus ala Cassini with Titan? Are there specific wavelengths which can peer through the Venus atmosphere?

 

[flynn]

Here is a list of instruments carried on Venus Express.<br /><br /><b>Analyser of Space Plasma and Energetic Atoms (ASPERA)</b><br /> <br />Led by Institute of Space Physics, Kiruna, Sweden <br />ASPERA will investigate the interaction between the solar wind and the atmosphere of Venus by measuring outflowing particles from the planet’s atmosphere and the particles making up the solar wind. It will study how the molecules and ions escape the planet. <br /><br />Heritage: Mars Express <br /> <br /> <br /><b>Venus Express Magnetometer (MAG)</b><br /> <br />Led by IWF, Graz, Austria <br /><br />Venus has no detectable internal magnetic field, and the field that exists around the planet is entirely due to the interaction between the solar wind and the atmosphere. The MAG magnetometer will study this process and will help in understanding the effect this has on Venus’s atmosphere, for instance the atmospheric escape process. <br /><br />Heritage: Newly developed for Venus Express (but reusing sensors design from the Rosetta lander)<br /> <br /> <br /><b>Planetary Fourier Spectrometer (PFS)</b><br /> <br />Led by IFSI-INAF, Rome, Italy <br /><br />PFS will be able to measure the temperature of the atmosphere between altitudes of 55–100 kilometres at a very high resolution. It will also be able to measure the surface temperature and therefore be able to search for volcanic activity. In addition to its temperature measurements, PFS will be able to make composition measurements of the atmosphere. <br /><br />Heritage: Mars Express<br /> <br /> <br /><b>Ultraviolet and Infrared Atmospheric Spectrometer (SPICAV/SOIR)</b><br /> <br />Led by Service d’Aeronomie du CNRS, Verriesres, France; Institute for Space Aeronomy, Belgium; IKI, Russia <br /><br />SPICAV assists in the analysis of Venus’s atmosphere. In particular, it will search for the small quantities of water expected to exist in the Venusian atmosphere. It will also look for sulphur compounds and molecular oxygen in the atmosphere. It will determine t <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#800080">"All God does is watch us and kill us when we get boring. We must never, ever be boring" - <strong>Chuck Palahniuk</strong>.</font> </div>

 

[tom_hobbes]

Magellan already did a fairly decent job of peering beneath the clouds with it's radar images of the surface, including detailed topographical data I think. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font size="2" color="#339966"> I wish I could remember<br /> But my selective memory<br /> Won't let me</font><font size="2" color="#99cc00"> </font><font size="3" color="#339966"><font size="2">- </font></font><font size="1" color="#339966">Mark Oliver Everett</font></p><p> </p> </div>

 

[jmilsom]

Hey great thread. That's quite a package of instruments, which will no doubt greatly increase our knowledge of our nearest neighbour. <br /><br />Did you see Borman's thread on the Venus life hypothesis? It is very interesting, I wonder if anything on this probe could give us further clues.<br /><br />http://uplink.space.com/showthreaded.php?Cat=&Board=sciastro&Number=308970&page=&view=&sb=&o= <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[flynn]

I hadn't, not much net time recently.<br /><br />Thanks for bringing it to my attention. Whenever I think of life on Venus I think of that bloody stupid novel by Ben Bova.<br /><br />ESA Mission Page with countdown clock. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#800080">"All God does is watch us and kill us when we get boring. We must never, ever be boring" - <strong>Chuck Palahniuk</strong>.</font> </div>

 

[flynn]

50 Days to Launch bump.<br /><br />A cool pic of Venus in transit. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#800080">"All God does is watch us and kill us when we get boring. We must never, ever be boring" - <strong>Chuck Palahniuk</strong>.</font> </div>

 

[jmilsom]

I am perhaps showing my ignorance here. I know that a lot of spacecraft have been sent to and studied Venus, but are any of them active? i.e. Are there any other craft currently orbiting and/or studying the planet? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[jmilsom]

I can answer my own question. Just found this listing of all the past missions to Venus <br /><br />I see that Magellan was the last probe there and orbited the planet from 1990 until 1995, when it burned up in the planet's atmosphere. <br /><br />I think the science that results from the Venus Express will be quite something. Any plans for a lander? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[JonClarke]

Not this time. People are still trying to figure out a way of getting them to last more than a couple of hours.<br /><br />Jon <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Whether we become a multi-planet species with unlimited horizons, or are forever confined to Earth will be decided in the twenty-first century amid the vast plains, rugged canyons and lofty mountains of Mars</em>  Arthur Clarke</p> </div>

 

[flynn]

Or something that can float in the atmosphere would be more appropriate for Venus. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#800080">"All God does is watch us and kill us when we get boring. We must never, ever be boring" - <strong>Chuck Palahniuk</strong>.</font> </div>

 

[mikejz]

I remember reading a study by JPL for a lander that could last a year. It realied on active cooling and RTGs for power. I forget the link to the page.<br /><br />Getting probes to last long is not really an issue: you use active cooling, the problem is power generation.<br /><br />I would really love to see a balloon mission to Venus, possible with several small gliders that would be relased and decend down, sending back tons of images. From what I have read it appears that a balloon's environment is actually some of the nicest in the solar system---temps in the mid 80's, just have to deal the a acidity of the air.

 

[henryhallam]

Getting that RTG to work might be a bit tricky... you can't actively cool the cold side of the RTG, that would violate thermodynamics, right?<br />So you would have to extract energy from the temperature difference between the radioactive material and the Venusian outside environment, meaning the radioactive material would have to get much hotter than in a 'normal' RTG to get the same energy out. And you'd need a fair bit of energy to actively cool the rest of the equipment.<br /><br />As an alternative how about using a "venusian"-stationary satellite with a space nuclear reactor, RTG or solar panels to beam power down to the lander on the surface with microwaves?

 

[mikejz]

I believe that it said that a normal RTG would work, but that the efficency would be very low (and thus a big and expensive RTG would be required)

 

[askold]

I like that Venus transit picture - is that a 737 that NASA is planning to fly to Venus??

 

[flynn]

I would imagine that Venus express like most probes before it will raise more questions than answers making a return probable. With the posibilities of Mars Express II ESA may repeat the duality of the missions again. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#800080">"All God does is watch us and kill us when we get boring. We must never, ever be boring" - <strong>Chuck Palahniuk</strong>.</font> </div>

 

[flynn]

40 Day to launch bump.<br /><br /><b>ESA’s new deep space antenna in Cebreros becomes a reality</b><br /><br /> <br /><i>15 September 2005</i><br />ESA PR 40-2005. ESA’s new deep space radio antenna in Cebreros (Ávila, Spain) will be officially inaugurated on 28 September. The new 35-metre antenna is ESA’s second facility devoted to communications with spacecraft on interplanetary missions or placed in very distant orbits. Cebreros’ first task will be that of tracking ESA’s Venus Express spacecraft, due for launch in October.<br /> <br />Up until three years ago, for missions requiring such a facility, ESA had to rely on NASA’s Deep Space Network. ESA’s science programme for the next decade includes many deep space missions, and independent access to deep space was identified as a necessity. In 2002, ESA’s first deep space antenna, located in New Norcia (Australia), began operations. <br /><br /><i>from ESAportal</i> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#800080">"All God does is watch us and kill us when we get boring. We must never, ever be boring" - <strong>Chuck Palahniuk</strong>.</font> </div>

 

[dragon04]

Thanks for the great thread, flynn <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><br /><br />I didn't even know ESA was doing a Venus probe until I saw this. I'll be paying attention now though. This is some cool stuff <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <em>"2012.. Year of the Dragon!! Get on the Dragon Wagon!".</em> </div>

 

[flynn]

No problem, I like to champion ESA missions occassionly.<br /><br />They have an exciting science program both earth observation and further afield. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#800080">"All God does is watch us and kill us when we get boring. We must never, ever be boring" - <strong>Chuck Palahniuk</strong>.</font> </div>

 

[flynn]

Ok so I missed my 30 day bump so here it is with 29 to go.<br /><br />http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Venus_Express/SEMCMW7X9DE_0.html<br /><br /><b>Venus Express gets wings</b><br /><br />Both solar array ‘wings’ have been installed on ESA’s Venus Express spacecraft, and preparations at the launch site in Baikonur are proceeding according to schedule, says Launch Campaign Manager Michael Witting.<br /> <br />The installation of the first solar array started on 12 September. The wing was connected mechanically and electrically to the main body of the spacecraft by a specialist team from Astrium GmbH (Munich). <br />The deployment of the wing was then tested, supported by a special rig (see movie). The lightweight wing is designed to be strong enough to support itself in space but on the ground, if not held up, it would collapse under Earth’s gravity. <br /><br />Click link for full story and Solar cell movie. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#800080">"All God does is watch us and kill us when we get boring. We must never, ever be boring" - <strong>Chuck Palahniuk</strong>.</font> </div>

 

[flynn]

NewScientist artical.<br /><br />http://www.newscientistspace.com/article/dn8066-venus-express-spacecraft-ready-for-launch.html<br /><br /><b>Venus Express spacecraft ready for launch </b><br />14:19 28 September 2005 <br />NewScientist.com news service <br />Maggie McKee <br /><br />The European Space Agency is set to launch a spacecraft to Venus. It will be the first mission to the swelteringly hot and corrosive planet in 15 years.<br /><br />Called Venus Express, it is scheduled to lift off aboard a Soyuz rocket from Baikonur, Kazakhstan, on 26 October. When it arrives at Venus in April 2006, it will study the planet from a polar orbit stretching from an altitude of 250 to 60,000 kilometres.<br /><br />Seven instruments will scrutinise the planet at a range of wavelengths. Astronomers hope to understand how a planet that has more in common with Earth than any other in terms of distance from the Sun, size and mass could have evolved into such an inhospitable world.<br /><br />Temperatures hover at 450°C, while the thick, carbon dioxide atmosphere produces crushing surface pressures 90 times those on Earth and sulphuric acid rains from the sky. "We're still struggling to understand why Venus is so radically different from Earth," says Fred Taylor, an astronomer at the University of Oxford, UK.<br /><br />More at link. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#800080">"All God does is watch us and kill us when we get boring. We must never, ever be boring" - <strong>Chuck Palahniuk</strong>.</font> </div>