Akatsuki

Author(s): DaveBowman2001

Release date:

Akatsuki, also known as PLANET-C, is an active Japanese spacecraft currently in orbit around Venus. Launched in May 2010, it failed to insert itself into Venusian orbit on its first attempt on Dec 2010, almost ending up in a similar fate to its ill-fated Mars-bound predecessor, Nozomi. However, it was salvaged successfully by JAXA scientists and it entered orbit on its second attempt exactly five years later in Dec 2015.

Launch on an H-IIA rocket, 2010-May-20

Venus in ultraviolet light as seen by Akatsuki, 2017-Jan-3

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