TRACKER-1ALPHA
48.8566°N / 2.3522°E
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Space probes·JAXA

Akatsuki

ActiveLaunched in 2010·Venus orbit — 400,000 km

A Japanese Venus orbiter: studies the super-rotation of the atmosphere and its sulfuric acid clouds.

Main objectives
  • Study the atmosphere and meteorology of Venus.
  • Map the clouds and super-rotations over the long term.
  • Complement data from earlier probes (Magellan, Venus Express).
Did you know?

Missed its first orbit insertion in 2010, then recovered successfully 5 years later in 2015.

Timeline

May 21, 2010
Launch

H-IIA from Tanegashima.

Dec 07, 2015
Orbit insertion (2nd attempt)

Capture around Venus, 5 years after the initial failure.

Akatsuki
Photo of Akatsuki
Mission data
StatusActive
PositionVenus orbit — 400,000 km
Launched in2010
TargetVenus
Budget0.31B USD

Specifications

Mass517 kg
OrbitPeriapsis 400 km / apoapsis 440,000 km

Discoveries

[01]
  • ObservationMajor
    Giant atmospheric waves
    Identification of large-scale gravito-inertial structures in the upper atmosphere of Venus.
    Mar 01, 2017

Mission milestones

[01]
  • Milestone
    Successful orbit insertion around Venus
    After a five-year cruise, Akatsuki maps the sulfuric acid clouds and atmospheric super-rotation in infrared.
    Dec 07, 2015

Official sources

JAXA↗