Venus Express

VEX

Mission Profile

Venus Express (VEX) is ESA's first mission dedicated to Venus, launched on 9 November 2005 aboard a Soyuz-FG rocket and entering Venus orbit in April 2006. The spacecraft was rapidly developed from the Mars Express design, sharing its structure and many instruments, and conducted an 8-year orbital study of Venus's atmosphere, cloud layers, surface thermal emission, and plasma environment. Key discoveries include the detection of lightning in Venus's atmosphere, evidence of recent volcanic activity through surface thermal anomalies, and a detailed characterization of the polar vortex. Venus Express operated until December 2014 when its propellant was exhausted and it made a final planned aerobraking campaign before reentry, completing Europe's most successful Venus mission.