European Venus probe launched successfully
{{date|November  9, 2005}}
<!--[[Image:Venus express.jpg|thumb|right|Venus Express probe]]-->
[[European Space Agency]]'s probe to {{w|Venus}} was successfully launched on Wednesday, November 9, at 0333 {{w|GMT}} from the {{w|Baikonur Cosmodrome}} in [[Kazakhstan]]. The {{w|space probe|probe}}, entitled {{w|Venus Express}}, separated from its {{w|Soyuz launch vehicle|Soyuz Fregat}} carrier 90 minutes after the launch, after which it emitted a signal marking the start of its journey to Earth's closest planetary neighbour.

Venus Express is to arrive at Venus in April 2006. The probe will spend at least 15 months—two Venusian days—studying the planet. The orbiter, however, has enough fuel to operate for 1000 Earth days.

The 220 million € (260 million US$) probe is set to examine the turbulent {{w|atmosphere}} and intense {{w|greenhouse effect}} of Venus. The probe will study the planet's temperature variation, cloud formations, wind speeds and gas composition. It is hoped that the results will help scientists understand Earth's {{w|global warming}} better.
Venus express is a clone of Mars Express which has been orbiting [[Mars]] since December 2003.

== Sources ==
*{{source|url=http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn8286
|title=Europe's first mission to Venus blasts off
|author=
|pub=New Scientist
|date=November 9, 2005}}
<!-- Hint: If you are citing BBC News, leave the author blank and put "BBC News" in the "pub" parameter. -->

*{{source|url=http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/051108_venusexp_launch.html
|title=Next Stop Venus: Europe's Express Probe Launches Toward Earth's 'Twin'
|author=Tariq Malik
|pub=Space.com
|date=November 9, 2005}}

== External links ==

*{{source|url=http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/area/index.cfm?fareaid=64
|title=ESA Science & Technology: Venus Express
|author=
|pub=ESA
|date=November 9, 2005}}

{{publish}}

{{archive}}
[[Category:Europe]]
[[Category:Space]]
[[Category:Science and technology]]
[[Category:Kazakhstan]]
[[Category:European Space Agency]]
[[Category:Asia]]
[[Category:Soyuz programme]]
[[Category:Chemistry]]
[[Category:Weather]]
[[Category:Venus]]
[[Category:Baikonur Cosmodrome]]

[[de:Europäische Raumsonde „Venus Express“ zum Nachbarplaneten gestartet]]
[[it:Decollata la sonda Venus Express 2005]]
European Space Agency's probe to GMT from the space probe|probe, entitled Soyuz launch vehicle|Soyuz Fregat carrier 90 minutes after the launch, after which it emitted a signal marking the start of its journey to Earth's closest planetary neighbour.

Venus Express is to arrive at Venus in April 2006. The probe will spend at least 15 months—two Venusian days—studying the planet. The orbiter, however, has enough fuel to operate for 1000 Earth days.

The 220 million € (260 million US$) probe is set to examine the turbulent greenhouse effect of Venus. The probe will study the planet's temperature variation, cloud formations, wind speeds and gas composition. It is hoped that the results will help scientists understand Earth's  better.
Venus express is a clone of Mars Express which has been orbiting Mars since December 2003.

*
Europe Space Science and technology Kazakhstan European Space Agency Asia Soyuz programme Chemistry Weather Venus Baikonur Cosmodrome