Akatsuki
Akatsuki
Akatsuki launched into space on
May
20th,
2010
and
is now
unknown km from Earth.
Its primary destination
is
Venus,
which
it arrived at on
December
7th,
2015
.
Wherever Akatsuki goes, it carries its trusty
cameras, camera controller, and radio transmitter.
Akatsuki often chats with humans from
JAXA.
Akatsuki is a space probe that was intended for Venus but failed to enter orbit around the planet in 2010 when its main engine died. The space probe then spent five years in orbit around the Sun before attempting again to enter into an orbit around Venus. In 2015, Akatsuki successfully entered orbit around Venus, albeit a farther orbit than originally intended. Now at Venus, Akatsuki will study the weather, atmosphere and surface of the planet. The mission also hopes to confirm the presence of active volcanoes and thunder on Venus.
Worth Exploring:
- DIY origami of Akatsuki
- a snowman of Akatsuki
- Akatsuki on Twitter
(top image: Venus as seen in ultraviolet by Akatsuki at a distance of 72,000 km, JAXA)