Venus Express launched successfully on 9 November 2005
1er octobre 2005
On 9 November, the Venus Express probe was launched by a Soyouz rocket from Baïkonour in Kazakhstan. This mission of the European Space Agency (ESA) has for objective to study the atmosphere, the surface and the ionized environment of Venus. Venus approach and first data are expected in april 2006. The mission should last 500 days, or 2 venus days. The probe takes on board seven instruments for study and analysis. One of them, VIRTIS (Visible and Infrared Thermal Imaging Spectrometer), was designed and realised partially by Paris Observatory.
The spectro-imagery provides « spectral images » of studied objects, that is images in multiples wavelength channels. VIRTIS should thus provide global and local maps in all wavelengths. Are expected in particular spectacular images of the circulation around the south pole. A descriptive of the ESA mission, with the list of scientific instruments is available on the l’ESA site.
Figure 1 : Close view of VIRTIS instrument, in the "balancelle" of the calibration chanmber. Click on the image to enlarge it
Contact Pierre Drossart (Observatoire de Paris, LESIA) Christine Etienne (Observatoire de Paris, Contact Presse)
Dernière modification le 4 mars 2013