Venus Express: mission and targets

Project start

November 9, 2005

Declared end

not declared

The start the archive declares is the start of the project, not the launch, and an end it does not declare does not mean the mission is still running.

Targets you can open in 3D:

• Venus

A declared target is what the archive files the mission’s data under, not a record of observation.

Venus Express is ESA's first mission to Venus, launched on November 9, 2005. It used a modified Mars Express spacecraft design and is equipped with upgraded instruments from previous ESA missions. The mission aims to study Venus's atmosphere, plasma environment, and surface in detail. After launching on a Soyuz rocket, Venus Express spent 150 days in interplanetary transfer before entering orbit around Venus on April 11, 2006. The spacecraft's operational orbit is an elliptical quasi-polar orbit with a 24-hour cycle, peaking at 66,000 km and dipping to 250 km. The mission timeline comprised several phases, including pre-launch operations, early orbit, commissioning, and extended mission phases, with a focus on scientific observation. The latter included data collection and transmission related to Venus's atmosphere and surface dynamics over an expected lifespan of nearly 486 days, later extended in phases lasting until 2012. Data acquisition strategies involved various observation modes, including Earth and solar occultations, with specific objectives for each scientific instrument onboard. The mission's extended phases aimed to enhance observational coverage and conduct detailed studies based on prior findings. Overall, Venus Express contributed significantly to Venusian science by providing valuable insights into the planet’s characteristics and dynamics.

Quoted in English, as the archive publishes it, read on October 4, 2026.

• SOLAR WIND (plasma stream)

Identifier in the archive, which is its citation: urn:esa:psa:context:investigation:mission.venus_express

NASA Planetary Data System, PDS Registry, investigation context products. Dates and targets read on September 29, 2026; how to cite the archive: https://pds.nasa.gov/datastandards/citing/

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