Download Venus Express

Venus Express
Department of Physics
National Tsing Hua University
G.T. Chen
2006/5/11
Venus Express –
First European Mission to
Venus
• Venus Express is a follow on from the
Mars Express mission.
• It had been launched on 9 Nov. 2005
• After a 153 day trip to Venus, the
spacecraft entered Venusian orbit on
11 April 2006.
• It reached final operational orbit on 7
May 2006 .
LAUNCH DATE :
09-Nov-2005 03:33 UT
Instrument
Objective
ASPERA-4
Neutral and ionized plasma
analysis
MAG
Magnetic field measurements
PFS
Atmospheric vertical sounding
by infrared Fourier
spectroscopy
SPICAV
Atmospheric spectrometry by
star or Sun occultation
VeRa
Radio sounding of atmosphere
VIRTIS
Spectrographic mapping of
atmosphere and surface
VMC
Ultraviolet and visible imaging
Scientific Purposes
• Atmospheric dynamics
• Atmospheric structure
• Atmospheric composition and chemistry
• Cloud layer and hazes
• Radiative balance
• Surface properties and geology
• Plasma environment and escape
processes
Venus Express
• It will gather data for a planned 500
Earth days (about two Venusian
years).
• At its closest, it will reach an altitude
of 250 kilometers and at its furthest,
it will be 66000 kilometers away
from the planet.
12 April ,2006
Taken by VMC
12 April ,2006
Taken by VIRTIS
Reference
• http://spaceflightnow.com/news/
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>>Thank you<<
Questions:
• What are the global characteristics of
the atmosphere?
• How does it circulate?
• How does the composition of the
atmosphere change with depth?
• How does the atmosphere interact
with the surface?
• How does the upper atmosphere
interact with the solar wind?
Objectives:
• What is the mechanism and what is the driving
force of the super-rotation of the atmosphere?
• What are the basic processes in the general
circulation of the atmosphere?
• What is the composition and chemistry of the
lower atmosphere and the clouds?
• What is the past and present water balance in the
atmosphere?
• What is the role of the radiative balance and
greenhouse effect in the past present and future
evolution of the planet?
• Is there currently volcanic activity on the planet?
Golubkina crater on Venus
Golubkina crater
• Golubkina crater on Venus is 34 kilometres
in diameter. Studying the number and size
of craters on Venus proves that the
surface of the planet is only 500 million
years old. Scientists believe that some
kind of volcanic catastrophe, 500 million
years ago, spilled molten lava across the
entire surface of the planet destroying all
the older crater
ASPERA-4 Analyser of Space Plasmas and Energetic Atoms
MAG
Magnetometer
PFS
Planetary Fourier Spectrometer
SPICAV
Spectroscopy for Investigation of Characteristics of
the Atmosphere of Venus
VeRa
Venus Radio Science
VIRTIS
Visible and Infrared Thermal Imaging Spectrometer
VMC
Venus Monitoring Camera