He finally received his eight-year mission Venus Express of the ESA, which lasted well beyond the design. As announced by the European Space Agency, the ship exhausted its fuel in a series of maneuvers to rise to a higher trajectory.
Since arriving at Venus in 2006, Venus Express has been on a 24-hour elliptical orbit, traveling 66.000 kilometers above the south pole at furthest point and 200 kilometers above the north pole at closest approach, conducting an in-depth analysis of the planet. and its atmosphere. However, after eight years in orbit and with the fuel to run out, the craft undertook a daring aerobraking "mission" in mid-2014, plunging deeper and deeper into the atmosphere, getting very close to the planet.
Under normal circumstances, the craft would use its engines to ensure it didn't get too close to Venus, risking being lost in the atmosphere. But this particular one energy had exactly the opposite goal: the reduction of altitude and the εξερεύνηση previously uncharted zones in the atmosphere. Also, within this mission, important experience is gained for future missions, as this method (aerobraking) can be used to enter the orbit of planets with an atmosphere without requiring a large use of fuel.
Between May and June of 2014, the lowest point on board the track reached 130-135 kilometers. Then the boat was raised again, so 26 July was again at a height of 460 kilometers. Then the mission continued in a reduced scientific phase, as the boat began to "sink" again due to gravity. A new series of maneuvers was decided to regain height, as there were still fuels, with the aim of the mission to last as 2015.
However, contact with the vessel was lost on 28 November. Since then the telemetry and the remote control links are partially restored, but very unstable. According to Patrick Martin, mission manager for Venus Express, it appears that the craft ran out of fuel almost halfway through the planned maneuvers, causing it to lose altitude control due to thrust problems.
Technology-Science naftemporiki.gr
