The Future of Venus Exploration after 'Akatsuki' May End Its Mission
TapTechNews, June 2nd. The Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency's (JAXA) 'Akatsuki' Venus Climate Orbiter may be nearing the end of its mission. It is currently the only probe operating on Venus.
In an update, the JAXA Institute of Aerospace Research said that after an operation at the end of April this year, the 'Akatsuki' lost contact due to the probe's long-term insufficient attitude control ability. But there is not yet complete despair. JAXA is trying hard to re-establish communication with the probe.
If the 'Akatsuki' cannot be repaired, mankind will temporarily lose the only means of closely observing this extremely hot planet. The official name of the 'Akatsuki' is 'Venus Climate Orbiter Mission (PLANET-C)'. It was launched by JAXA in 2010 and finally entered the Venus orbit successfully in 2015 after several troubleshooting.
The 'Akatsuki' is not conspicuously shaped, which is roughly equivalent to a 1.5-meter-square box. But this small probe is equipped with five cameras and has been tirelessly shooting images of the Venusian atmosphere.
Considering that there are very few long-term exploration missions for Venus, the contribution of the 'Akatsuki' is extremely precious. In contrast, the most detailed surface images of Venus we currently have are still from NASA's 'Magellan' probe, and the shooting time can be traced back to the early 1990s.
Venus is not hospitable. Its atmosphere is filled with dense carbon dioxide, generating pressure enough to crush metal. The temperature on the surface of Venus can even melt some metals and usually exceeds 880 degrees Fahrenheit (about 470 degrees Celsius). In addition, Venus is also covered with corrosive clouds, making it extremely difficult to observe its surface, and it is also full of perils even when operating near the Venus orbit.
Nevertheless, the harsh environment of Venus has not dampened human's exploration enthusiasm at all. This planet is considered the'sister planet' of the earth, which has similar size, mass and composition, and is adjacent to the earth.
Even if JAXA cannot repair the 'Akatsuki', it is reasonable. This probe has far exceeded its originally designed 4.5-year lifespan, and it is understandable that the 'Akatsuki' retires after serving for nearly ten years.
However, the retirement of the 'Akatsuki' will also bring a gap. According to TapTechNews, NASA plans to launch two Venus probes, 'DaVinci' and 'Virtus', in 2029 and 2031 respectively, but there are still several years before the launch.