ESA - Venus Express - Past missions to Venus

Europe goes to Venus

Tribute to the cryptic planet Penetrating an impenetrable world

Past missions to Venus

About Venus Express

Venus Express mission facts Venus Express objectives The spacecraft Orbiter instruments The launcher Operating Venus Express

About Venus

Venusian geography The surface Acid clouds and lightning Greenhouse effect, clouds and winds Venus compared to Earth

Meet the team

International collaboration Project Manager: An interview with Don McCoy Project Scientist: An interview with Håkan Svedhem Launch Campaign Manager: An interview with Michael Witting Spacecraft Operations Manager: An interview with Andrea Accomazzo Venus Express Flight Control Team Principal Investigators

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Past missions to Venus

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The NASA Pioneer Venus 1 and 2 spacecraft made up the longest mission studying Venus. In total, the two spacecraft spent 14 years in orbit around Venus.

Credits: NASA

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The Soviet Union's Venera 15 and 16 missions (1983-1984) mapped the surface of Venus and provided the first detailed look at the mesosphere and cloud tops with thermal emission spectroscopy.

Looking at Venus

Launch replay

Venus Express launch

Venus Express performs flawlessly, LEOP complete Venus Express mission operations update "Venus Express, give me a GO/NO GO for launch..."Venus Express: ready for lift-off Green light for Venus Express launcher fuelling Venus Express countdown activities started Venus Express moved back to launch pad Venus Express set for transport to launcher assembly building Venus Express mated with upper-stage

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Status reports Launch in detail Venus Express factsheet