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Venus Express

  • Colored overlay of a volcano on Venus shows the heat patterns derived from surface brightness data collected by the Visible and Infrared Thermal Imaging Spectrometer (VIRTIS), aboard the European Space Agency's Venus Express spacecraft
    Space
    Venus may still be volcanically active
    A new study suggests that Venus may not be as geologically dead as we thought. Infrared spectra and laboratory work show that there may be volcanic activity on the planet, with some lava flows being only a few years old.
  • ESA's Venus Express has found the best evidence yet that our planetary neighbor experiences active volcanism, as depicted in this artist's impression
    Space
    Best evidence of active lava flows spotted on Venus
    Earlier missions to Venus have shown that the surface bears the unmistakable scarring of fierce, ancient volcanic activity. Now ESA's Venus Express spacecraft has found the best evidence of active lava flows on Venus.
  • Artist's impression of Venus Express making its aerobraking maneuver (Image: ESA/C Carreau)
    Space
    Venus Express mission ends as fuel runs out
    The European Space Agency's (ESA) eight-year Venus Express mission has come to an end. According to ESA, the spacecraft has exhausted its fuel and can no longer hold the correct attitude to maintain communications with Earth meaning it will soon burn up in the Venusian atmosphere.
  • Venus Express carrying out aerobraking maneuver in July (Image: ESA–C. Carreau)
    Space
    Venus Express gets one last boost of life
    The European Space Agency's Venus Express unmanned probe is being put through a series of maneuvers in hopes that its remaining fuel can push the spacecraft into a higher orbit and give it a bit more life before it plunges into the Venusian atmosphere.
  • Artist's impression of Venus Express skimming the Venusian atmosphere (Image: ESA–C. Carreau)
    Space
    Venus Express gets new lease on life by skimming Venusian atmosphere
    Facing the alternative of a fiery death, the ESA’s Venus Express orbiter has completed a daring atmosphere-skimming maneuver that has extended the life of the unmanned explorer by several months.