Pre-planned thrill - Venus Express disappears behind Venus   Venus Express orbit insertion     11 April 2006   At 09:45 CEST this morning, the Venus Express spacecraft disappeared as expected behind the planet disc. The spacecraft signal is expected to be blinded for about 10 minutes.   This phase, started about 25 minutes after the beginning of the main engine burn (09:17 CEST), is called ‘occultation’. Receiving the spacecraft signal after the occultation period would be the first positive sign of successful orbit insertion.     Feature  •   ESA astronaut C. Nicollier on voyaging to Venus (mms://esamultimedia.esa.int/multimedia/audio/cn_venus.mp3)  •  VOI highlights and press conference (http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Venus_Express/SEMIRONFGLE_0.html)  •  ESApod: Venus Express (http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Venus_Express/SEMHXANFGLE_0.html) VOI updates  •  Venus Express’ initial orbit matches expectations (http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Venus_Express/SEMY1SNFGLE_0.html)  •  Venus Express 'talks' to Earth (http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMZ7QNFGLE_index_0.html)  •  Venus Express main engine burn ended (http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMMYPNFGLE_Life_0.html)  •  Venus Express reappears from behind Venus (http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMQPPNFGLE_Life_0.html)  •  Venus Express main engine burn starts (http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEM7CPNFGLE_index_0.html)  •  Venus Express slews and prepares to ‘brake’ (http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEM77PNFGLE_index_0.html)  •  Venus Orbit Insertion timeline (http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMMM0NFGLE_index_0.html)  •  Looking at Venus (http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Venus_Express/index.html)  •  ESA’s Venus Express to reach final destination (http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEM0UGNFGLE_Life_0.html) Related articles  •  Venus within ESA probe reach (http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEME02NFGLE_Life_0.html)  •  And now… straight to Venus! (http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEMIMWMVGJE_index_0.html)  •  Successful Venus Express main engine test (http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMVX5MVGJE_index_0.html)  •  First light for the Venus Monitoring Camera (http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMLWVULWFE_Life_0.html)  •  Venus Express performs flawlessly, LEOP complete (http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMK9UJBWFE_index_0.html)  •  Venus Express mission operations update (http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/ESOC/SEM780738FE_0.html)  •  Venus Express en route to probe the planet's hidden mysteries (http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEM56Q638FE_Life_0.html) Related links  •  Venus Express operations (http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Operations/SEM7QMQJNVE_0.html)  •  Webcam from ESOC (http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMN3Y274OD_index_0.html)