Japanese space probe Akatsuki to reach Venus' orbit Tuesday

Monday 06th December, 02:49 PM JST

TOKYO —

Japanese space probe Akatsuki is expected to be put into orbit around Venus on Tuesday, 200 days after a rocket carrying the probe blasted off in May, Japanese space agency officials said Monday.

It would be the first time for Japan to place a space probe in orbit around a planet other than Earth.

According to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, known as JAXA, Akatsuki has succeeded in its attitude control to tilt its engine toward its traveling direction shortly before 8 a.m. Monday.

When the probe approaches up to about 550 kilometers above Venus around 9 a.m. Tuesday, it will reverse the engine for 12 minutes to slow down before being affected by Venus’ gravity to enter into orbit.

As it will take about three minutes and 30 seconds for one-way communication with the probe, which will be located about 63 million km from Earth, the probe will adjust its instruments according to programs previously sent.

Masato Nakamura, a JAXA project manager, said, ‘‘The probe will have only one chance (to be put into orbit). If it fails, it will pass over Venus.’‘

Once the probe is successfully in orbit, it will adjust twice to move into the targeted oval orbit circling at altitudes of 550 to 80,000 km around Dec 13.

It will then observe the atmosphere of the planet for over two years using instruments including ones to measure near-infrared rays and ultraviolet rays.

Akatsuki was developed at a cost of 25.2 billion yen for Japan’s first planetary exploration mission since an unsuccessful stint by the Mars probe Nozomi, which was launched in 1998 but failed to move into the planet’s orbit due to a series of technical glitches.