Japanese Venus probe mysteriously disappears

Oh no.

Disappear

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's (JAXA) Akatsuki space probe, which is the only ongoing mission to the planet Venus, may be on the verge of death.

In an update on attitude”.

But it's not yet a lost cause, and the institute is “currently making efforts to re-establish communication with the spacecraft.”

However, if the probe remains silent, its loss will mean that humanity will be cut off from its only source of close observations of this strange and hellish planet.

Dual connection

Officially known as the Venus Climate Orbiter (PLANET-C) mission, Akatsuki was launched by JAXA in 2010 and, after a few hiccups, entered orbit around its destination planet in 2015.

Although its shape was unassuming – essentially a small box measuring no more than five feet in each direction – the sturdy little probe was equipped with five cameras that it used to tirelessly image the Venusian atmosphere.

His contributions have been invaluable to astronomers, especially since long missions to Venus are rare. Our most detailed images of its surface come from NASA's Magellan spacecraft, from the early 1990s, to put things in perspective.

It's not a very welcoming planet. The Venusian atmosphere is so thick with carbon dioxide that the pressures it creates can crush metal. Temperatures are hot enough to melt some metals, often exceeding 800 degrees Fahrenheit. And of course there is its haze of corrosive clouds which makes observing its surface extremely difficult. Even putting it into orbit can be dangerous.

But as hostile as the planet is to anything that comes near it, we can't help but be fascinated by it. It's our planet's 'twin', with a similar size, mass and composition – and it's also right next door.

Greener Pastures

If JAXA's probe cannot be recovered, it will not constitute an unexpected loss. The Akatsuki is already long past its originally planned lifespan of 4.5 years.

Today, almost a decade of loyal service later, no one can blame the poor man for retiring late.

Still, this will leave a big gap. NASA plans to launch two missions to Venus, DAVINCI and Veritas, but these are not expected to take off until 2029 and 2031 respectively. So we can only hope that Akatsuki will remain until there is a worthy successor.

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