The Japanese space agency successfully rocket H-IIA launch spacecraft to Venus Venus Climate Orbiter (VCO). Only the launch was postponed earlier this week because of bad weather that has finally been successfully completed Thursday, the 20th May, late Thursday night at 23:58 our time.
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- Launch of VCO
The launch was conducted from Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan. In Venus' orbit VCO will arrive in December this year where during the two years needed to explore its atmosphere and surface, special attention will be given to the search for possible volcanism on Earth's "twin sister". The Japanese spacecraft will be at least two years to orbit around Venus, and also help craft the European Space Agency's Venus Express, which is in there earlier in the study of this unjustly neglected planet.
VCO will be every 30 hours to make a circle around Venus. The spacecraft mass is 640kg (of which the instruments of waste only 35kg!)
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- Successful separation of the spacecraft in Earth orbit
The planned orbit will bring it to a minimum distance of only 300 km above the surface and when it is farthest, will be located at a full 79,000 km above it. The majority of the scientific instruments are cameras to record in various areas of the electromagnetic spectrum and radar.
The spacecraft's boxy shape and dimensions of the site are the 1.6 × 1.6 × 1.25m. Electricity provided two solar panels and batteries for orbital maneuvers will use twelve small rocket engine. The whole project cost of 280 million.
Venus Climate Orbiter, or as the Japanese call it "Akatsuki" was not the only spacecraft was launched on this occasion. There are even found a small American spacecraft Ikaros, which is in the nature of the prototype solar sails to which its creators hope will become a model for future space missions to distant planets.
Marino Tumpić