Venus’ only spacecraft, Japan’s Akatsuki, lost contact last month. The Institute of Space and Astronautical Sciences (ISAS) in Japan lost communication with the spacecraft following an operation in late April due to a prolonged low-altitude stability control regime. Engineers are currently working to re-establish contact with the spacecraft, which is vital for maintaining stable orientation to communicate with Earth through its antenna.
The 300 million USD spacecraft, known as “dawn” in Japanese, was launched into space in 2010 and has been studying Venus’ climate ever since. Akatsuki is the world’s only spacecraft currently operating around the second planet from the Sun. Despite initial challenges that prevented it from entering Venus’ orbit, Akatsuki successfully entered orbit in 2015 after orbiting the Sun for 5 years.
Akatsuki completed its main mission and began its extended operations period in 2018. Even if connection cannot be re-established this time, engineers at Japan’s Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) have demonstrated their problem-solving abilities and improved human understanding of Venus’ climate and atmospheric dynamics. As new spacecraft explore Venus, including missions from NASA, ESA, India, and private companies, Akatsuki’s work has been significant in advancing our knowledge of the planet.
