Venus Express - Launch Highlights
ESA TV Exchanges
On 9 November 2005 at 03:33 GMT, Venus Express was successfully launched onto an orbit to the ""Shepherd's Planet"". Today's transmission includes the highlight images, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome and Mission Control at ESOC, including ENG recordings that could not be included into the live launch transmission.
The Exchange includes all footage required to cover the mission between now and the arrival of Venus Express at destination, on 11 April 2006.
The script will be online as a PDF file under http://television.esa.int/photos/EbS42204.pdf
More backgroud information can be found on: www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Venus_Express/

Venus Express : Launch highlights
10:00:30 A-Roll Start
10:00:40 It is early evening on the 8th November. Light is fast fading, a crescent Moon accompanies Earth's nearest neighbour, a bright beacon as it sinks towards the horizon. Venus appears to beckon: ""You're coming aren't you?"" 10:00:56 Everything is ready at ESA's Space Operations Centre. For flight controllers in Darmstadt, it's going to be the big night. Likewise across the continent, scientists are anxiously waiting to see the start of their mission.
10:01:10 Several thousand kilometers away, in the Kazahstan desert, a venerable vehicle has been brought to its launch site, the rocket fairing displaying the mission logo. It will be the 1703rd flight of a Soyuz, and the 13th mission carried out by the Starsem company.
10:01:29 It will be a short night for everyone. Engineers are already at their consoles in the Master Control Room as guests arrive at 3 am for the public event.
10:01:38 Sound bite (end of Roll-call by Manfred Warhaut)
10:01:48 Th