Live from Sagamihara: Akatsuki Orbit Insertion Success!
The Akatsuki team achieved something that no mission has done before - put a spacecraft into orbit around a planet using only the attitude control thrusters. An event that one could not even conceive or propose! Read more
Akatsuki (literally "dawn"), formerly known as the Venus Climate Orbiter (VCO) and Planet-C, is a Japanese unmanned spacecraft which was intended to explore Venus. It was launched aboard an H-IIA 202 rocket on 20 May 2010. Read more
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said Thursday it will probably be impossible for its damaged space probe Akatsuki to enter an orbit around Venus close enough to observe the planet's atmosphere with high accuracy, the mission's objective. Read more
JAXA to ignite Akatsui''s engine to enter Venus''s orbit
On September 14, JAXA will conduct a second test ignition of the main engine, this time getting it to boost for 20 seconds, it added. The agency earlier said it is considering adjusting Akatsuki's posture in November to pave the way for a renewed attempt to send it into orbit around Venus in late 2015. Read more
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said Wednesday it successfully conducted a test ignition of the space probe Akatsuki's main engine to prepare for a reattempt to send it into orbit around Venus in 2015 after its failure to do so last December. The engine boost lasted for about two seconds as the agency, known as JAXA, had planned, it said. Signals transmitted back to the agency by the probe at around noon confirmed that the test was successful, it said. The test was implemented to check the state of the engine. Read more
JAXA may make second try at Akatsuki-Venus rendezvous one year earlier than planned
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is now considering making a second attempt to insert the Akatsuki probe into Venus' orbit in about five years time -- one year earlier than it was believed possible. The Akatsuki probe failed to enter Venus' orbit on schedule on Dec. 7 last year after its engine cut out during a reverse thrust burn, sending it shooting past the planet and into an orbit around the Sun faster than its destination planet. JAXA had said the craft would be in position for another attempt in six years, but despite the Akatsuki's loss of engine power, the agency now says it may be possible to bump up the second run by slowly decelerating the craft and letting Venus catch up with it. Read more
Failure of Venus probe Akatsuki likely due to faulty valve
The failure of the Akatsuki Venus Climate Orbiter to enter orbit around Venus earlier this month was most likely due to a blockage in the backflow valve installed in the fuel-supply pipes of the engine that was used for reverse engine thrust, a Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) taskforce has concluded. Read more
Japanese spacecraft misses rendezvous with Venus; may try again in six years
Japan's Akatsuki spacecraft failed to enter its planned orbit around Venus last week and is now drifting through space. The main hope of rescuing the mission, intended to study the planet's climate, appears to be a second try at inserting it into orbit when it approaches the planet again in about six years. Read more
Akatsuki's fuel pressure plunged before failure to enter Venus orbit: JAXA
An ongoing investigation into the failure to insert the Akatsuki space probe into Venus' orbit has found that the probe's fuel pressure dropped sharply just after it fired its reverse thruster. The drop in fuel-tank pressure could have been caused by a problem in the pipes or valves of the fuel distribution system, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) said on Dec. 10. Read more