The operating space science missions

Venus Express

Venus Express has two solar cell panels per wing comprising alternating rows of standard triple junction solar cells as well as highly reflective mirrors to reduce the operating temperatures. There is twice as much sunlight in Venusian orbit as there is in Earthis orbit, plus additional thermal input from the Venusian surface and atmosphere – 75% of sunlight being reflected up from it. In certain cases, this results in Venus Express receiving an equivalent of the thermal input from 3.5 Suns.

Venus Express has two solar cell panels per wing comprising alternating rows of standard triple junction solar cells as well as highly reflective mirrors to reduce the operating temperatures. There is twice as much sunlight in Venusian orbit as there is in Earthis orbit, plus additional thermal input from the Venusian surface and atmosphere – 75% of sunlight being reflected up from it. In certain cases, this results in Venus Express receiving an equivalent of the thermal input from 3.5 Suns.

Two years ago, a new approach to extending missions was built into ESA’s financial plan for science missions. It means that, every two years, a comprehensive evaluation is made of all missions approaching the end of their funding, with a view to extending them.

The missions under consideration during this round were Cluster, Integral, Planck, Mars Express, Venus Express and XMM-Newton – all led by ESA.

Also considered were ESA’s contributions to the international collaborative missions Hinode (with Japan), Cassini-Huygens, Hubble Space Telescope and SOHO (all with NASA), and to science operations of ESA’s Proba-2 technology demonstrator.

Last week, the SPC confirmed previously agreed extensions for these missions until 2012 and approved new extensions to 2014, subject to confirmation in late 2012 on the regular two-year cycle.
The operating space science missions - Europe maintains its presence on the final frontier | Redshift live

The operating space science missions

Venus Express

Venus Express has two solar cell panels per wing comprising alternating rows of standard triple junction solar cells as well as highly reflective mirrors to reduce the operating temperatures. There is twice as much sunlight in Venusian orbit as there is in Earthis orbit, plus additional thermal input from the Venusian surface and atmosphere – 75% of sunlight being reflected up from it. In certain cases, this results in Venus Express receiving an equivalent of the thermal input from 3.5 Suns.

Venus Express has two solar cell panels per wing comprising alternating rows of standard triple junction solar cells as well as highly reflective mirrors to reduce the operating temperatures. There is twice as much sunlight in Venusian orbit as there is in Earthis orbit, plus additional thermal input from the Venusian surface and atmosphere – 75% of sunlight being reflected up from it. In certain cases, this results in Venus Express receiving an equivalent of the thermal input from 3.5 Suns.

Two years ago, a new approach to extending missions was built into ESA’s financial plan for science missions. It means that, every two years, a comprehensive evaluation is made of all missions approaching the end of their funding, with a view to extending them.

The missions under consideration during this round were Cluster, Integral, Planck, Mars Express, Venus Express and XMM-Newton – all led by ESA.

Also considered were ESA’s contributions to the international collaborative missions Hinode (with Japan), Cassini-Huygens, Hubble Space Telescope and SOHO (all with NASA), and to science operations of ESA’s Proba-2 technology demonstrator.

Last week, the SPC confirmed previously agreed extensions for these missions until 2012 and approved new extensions to 2014, subject to confirmation in late 2012 on the regular two-year cycle.
» print article
Related articles:
Illustration of a supermassive black hole at the centre of a galaxy. Using new data from ESA’s XMM-Newton spaceborne observatory, astronomers have probed closer than ever to a supermassive black hole lying deep at the core of a distant active galaxy.
Supermassive black hole

XMM-Newton takes astronomers to a black hole’s edge

» go to article
This map shows the Aram Chaos region of Mars - a crater 170 miles in diameter lying almost directly on the martian equator. In this region Mars Express found mineralogical evidence for large-scale deposits of ferric oxides helping to understand the climatic changes on Mars.
Mars Express

Mars Express zeros in on erosion features

» go to article
This mosaic of images from NASA's Cassini spacecraft shows three fan-like structures in Saturn's tenuous F ring. Such "fans" suggest the existence of additional objects in the F ring.
NASA´s Spacecraft

Cassini Sees Moon Building Giant Snowballs in Saturn Ring

» go to article
On the left, Saturn's moon Enceladus is backlit by the sun, showing the fountain-like sources of the fine spray of material that towers over the south polar region. On the right, is a composite image of Titan.
Enceladus and Titan

Cassini Double Play

» go to article
Amateur astronomer Christopher Go took this image of the storm on March 13, 2010. The arrow indicates the location of the storm and the red outlines show where Cassini's composite infrared spectrometer gathered data.
Planetary System

Cassini and Amateurs Chase Storm on Saturn

» go to article
NASA's Cassini spacecraft captured the first lightning flashes on Saturn when it captured these images.
The Saturnian System

Cassini Sees Lightning on Saturn

» go to article
This natural color view from the Cassini spacecraft highlights the myriad gradations in the transparency of Saturn's inner rings.
Strange Weather On Saturn

Cassini Shows Saturnian Roller Derby

» go to article
In this unique mosaic image combining high-resolution data from the imaging science subsystem and composite infrared spectrometer aboard NASA's Cassini spacecraft, pockets of heat appear along one of the mysterious fractures in the south polar region of Saturn's moon Enceladus.
Hotspots at Enceladus

Cassini Finds Plethora of Plumes

» go to article
An aurora, shining high above the northern part of Saturn, moves from the night side to the day side of the planet in this movie recorded by Cassini.
Space Weather

Cassini Captures Ghostly Dance of Saturn's Northern Lights

» go to article
This unprocessed image was captured by NASA's Cassini spacecraft during its Nov. 21, 2009 flyby of Saturn's moon Enceladus. It shows the moon's south polar region, where jets of water vapor and other particles spew from fissures on the surface.
Enceladus' Mighty Plume

Cassini Sends Back Images of Enceladus as Winter Nears

» go to article
Of the countless equinoxes Saturn has seen since the birth of the solar system, this one, captured here in a mosaic of light and dark, is the first witnessed up close by an emissary from Earth.
Revealing Saturn's Secrets

Cassini Reveals New Ring Quirks

» go to article
Search
Astronomy Software

Solar Eclipse by Redshift

Solar Eclipse by Redshift for iOS

Observe, understand, and marvel at the solar eclipse on August 21, 2017! » more

Solar Eclipse by Redshift

Solar Eclipse by Redshift for Android

Observe, understand, and marvel at the solar eclipse on August 21, 2017! » more

The operating space science missions

Venus Express

Venus Express has two solar cell panels per wing comprising alternating rows of standard triple junction solar cells as well as highly reflective mirrors to reduce the operating temperatures. There is twice as much sunlight in Venusian orbit as there is in Earthis orbit, plus additional thermal input from the Venusian surface and atmosphere – 75% of sunlight being reflected up from it. In certain cases, this results in Venus Express receiving an equivalent of the thermal input from 3.5 Suns.

Venus Express has two solar cell panels per wing comprising alternating rows of standard triple junction solar cells as well as highly reflective mirrors to reduce the operating temperatures. There is twice as much sunlight in Venusian orbit as there is in Earthis orbit, plus additional thermal input from the Venusian surface and atmosphere – 75% of sunlight being reflected up from it. In certain cases, this results in Venus Express receiving an equivalent of the thermal input from 3.5 Suns.

Two years ago, a new approach to extending missions was built into ESA’s financial plan for science missions. It means that, every two years, a comprehensive evaluation is made of all missions approaching the end of their funding, with a view to extending them.

The missions under consideration during this round were Cluster, Integral, Planck, Mars Express, Venus Express and XMM-Newton – all led by ESA.

Also considered were ESA’s contributions to the international collaborative missions Hinode (with Japan), Cassini-Huygens, Hubble Space Telescope and SOHO (all with NASA), and to science operations of ESA’s Proba-2 technology demonstrator.

Last week, the SPC confirmed previously agreed extensions for these missions until 2012 and approved new extensions to 2014, subject to confirmation in late 2012 on the regular two-year cycle.
» print article

Search
Astronomy Software

Solar Eclipse by Redshift

Solar Eclipse by Redshift for iOS

Observe, understand, and marvel at the solar eclipse on August 21, 2017! » more

Solar Eclipse by Redshift

Solar Eclipse by Redshift for Android

Observe, understand, and marvel at the solar eclipse on August 21, 2017! » more