Is Venus Keeping Its Secrets?
A recent update from the Japanese space agency, JAXA, revealed that communication has been lost with the Akatsuki spacecraft orbiting Venus. The spacecraft encountered difficulties maintaining its attitude in late April, likely due to a thruster issue. Efforts to restore communication have been unsuccessful so far, leaving the fate of the spacecraft uncertain. This situation could mark the end of a mission that overcame a significant failure a decade ago to enter orbit around Venus. Additionally, the potential loss of the Akatsuki spacecraft would mean losing humanity’s only spacecraft currently orbiting Venus.
The Journey of Akatsuki
Launched in 2010, the Akatsuki spacecraft faced challenges early on when its main engine failed to lower its orbit successfully. However, innovative solutions were implemented by Japanese mission planners, including reducing the spacecraft’s mass by discarding oxidizer and utilizing attitude control thrusters to insert the vehicle into an elliptical orbit around Venus. Despite these setbacks, the spacecraft successfully entered a 10-day orbit around Venus in 2016, allowing for valuable scientific data collection.
Blind Spot: Studying Venus
With Akatsuki being the only operational spacecraft at Venus, the potential loss of communication raises concerns about our understanding of the planet. While there are solar orbiters that occasionally pass by Venus, they do not conduct in-depth studies. This leaves us with limited insight into the mysteries of the planet closest to Earth in our Solar System. Although several missions are in development, there is no confirmed launch date, leaving a significant gap in our knowledge of Venus.
