* Astronomy

Japan prepares for Venus countdown

This week, Japan is shipping its Venus Climate Orbiter to the southwestern island of Tanegashima, where the satellite's launch is scheduled for 18 May. Project directors at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) say they hope that the orbiter, Akatsuki (dawn), will resolve mysteries including how the atmosphere of Earth's scorching hot neighbour is able to 'super rotate' at speeds of up to 60 times that of its host planet.
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The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) "AKATSUKI Message Campaign" for the Venus Climate Orbiter "AKATSUKI," which is scheduled to be launched by the H-IIA Launch Vehicle in 2010, is to have the deadline for accepting names and messages extended to the 10th January, 2010
(The deadline was originally December 25, 2009.)

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*  Your name must be no more than 20 letters in roman letters (or 10 in the Japanese language), and your message must be no more than 40 letters in roman letters (or 20 in Japanese).
* You can send a message in Japanese characters (Hiragana, Kanji, and Katakana) as well as using numbers and/or Roman letters. However, some letters (such as half-sized Katakana) or some PC specific letters may not be properly encoded on our side. Therefore, if you use such letters, they may not be printed as you intend.
* Only a name (without a message) is also acceptable.
* The International Year of Astronomy 2009 Japan Committee will be in charge of accepting names and messages, counting them, and protecting your private information.
* Your message be used on our Web site, leaflet, and/or magazines for the purpose of public affairs and promotion. Copyright of the messages basically belong to JAXA.

Venus Climate Orbiter "AKATSUKI" (PLANET-C)
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is scheduled to launch the Venus Climate Orbiter "AKATSUKI" (PLANET-C) by H-IIA Launch Vehicle in Japan Fiscal Year 2010. The AKATSUKI will enter the orbit of Venus about half a year after its launch, and will take some two years to explore the atmosphere of Venus.

JAXA would like to enhance people's interest in space and the Earth by holding a "message campaign" in which we invite people to send us messages that will be printed in fine letters on an aluminium plate and placed aboard the Venus Climate Orbiter "AKATSUKI". We will accept messages both from Japan and overseas so that we can bind the feelings and thoughts of everybody in the world into one, and inject it into the orbit of Venus. Through this campaign, we would like to boost the public's knowledge about Japanese space science research activities in Japan as well as abroad.
With the cooperation of the "International Year of Astronomy 2009 Japan Committee," we would like to carry out the "message campaign" to collect messages to be attached to the Venus Climate Orbiter "AKATSUKI" as follows.

1. Campaign name
"We will deliver your message to the bright star Venus" - "AKATSUKI" Message Campaign -

2. Message accepted
From October 23, 2009 thru December 25, 2009 (Japan Standard Time)

3. How to send your message
[For individual senders]
Through the Internet
Japanese site: www.jaxa.jp
English site: www.jaxa.jp

JAXA decided upon the nickname of PLANET-C as follows.

1. Name: Venus Climate Orbiter "AKATSUKI" (meaning "Dawn")
2. Reasons for naming:

* The name was discussed and decided by the PLANET-C project team.
* "AKATSUKI" means "dawn" when Venus shines most brightly as the first greying of dawn appears in the east sky just prior to sunrise. The AKATSUKI is scheduled to arrive at Venus, which beautifully shines as the "morning bright star" at dawn, in the winter of 2010. The name also reflects the purpose of the PLANET-C project to newly create planetary meteorology by exploring Venus. The word "AKATSUKI", which indicates the start of a day, implies not only a beautiful scenic image, but also the power of achieving a goal, thus the name carries the thoughts and determination toward the success of the mission.

Source JAXA