The Last Spacecraft Orbiting Venus Has Officially Died

The Last Spacecraft Orbiting Venus Has Officially Died

Earth’s lone connection to Venus is over. After losing contact a year ago, The Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has officially declared the Akatsuki spacecraft dead, ceasing operations after coming to terms with the unlikelihood of a recovery.  Launched back in 2010, the Akatsuki’s mission was to study weather patterns on our hellish neighboring planet. The $300 million probe — also known as the Venus Climate Orbiter — suffered an en…

Japan’s Akatsuki Spacecraft Declared Inoperable, Marking End of Dedicated Venus Missions

Japan’s Akatsuki spacecraft, which studied Venus for nearly a decade, has been declared inoperable by JAXA. Successfully orbiting in 2015 after an initial failure, Akatsuki uncovered major insights into Venus’s swirling clouds and atmosphere. Its mission’s end leaves a gap until NASA’s VERITAS and DAVINCI+ missions take over.