urn:esa:psa:context:investigation:mission.venus_express 1.1 1.22.0.0 Product_Context urn:nasa:pds:context:investigation:mission.venus_express VEX VEX VENUS EXPRESS 2024-12-29 1.1 Updated schema version. Adding missing "instrument" references. Description updated. 2021-02-24 1.0 Changed LIDs from urn:nasa:pds: to urn:esa:psa: And per "Guide toPDS4 Context Products" v1.7, changed all lidvid_reference to lid_reference urn:esa:psa:context:instrument:vex.virtis investigation_to_instrument urn:esa:psa:context:instrument:vex.rss investigation_to_instrument urn:esa:psa:context:instrument:vex.mag investigation_to_instrument urn:esa:psa:context:instrument:vex.aspera4-els investigation_to_instrument urn:esa:psa:context:instrument_host:spacecraft.vex investigation_to_instrument_host urn:nasa:pds:context:target:planet.venus investigation_to_target urn:nasa:pds:context:target:plasma_stream.solar_wind investigation_to_target Bougher, S.W., M.J. Alexander, and H.G. Mayr, Upper atmosphere dynamics: global circulation and gravity waves, in Venus II, Univ. of Arizona Press, p. 259, 1997. reference.BOUGHERETAL1997 Crisp, D., and D.V. Titov, The thermal balance of the Venus atmosphere, in Venus II, Univ. of Arizona Press, p. 353, 1997. reference.CRISP-TITOV1997 Dauvin,I., VENUS EXPRESS Mission Calendar VEX-ESC-TN-5002, Issue 1, 24 May 2005. reference.DAUVIN2005 ESA, 'Venus Express Launched', ESA Bulletin, Vol. 124, pp1-105, 15 Nov 2005. reference.ESA2005 Esposito, L.W., J.L. Bertaux, V. Krasnopolsky, V.I. Moroz, and L.V. Zasova, Chemistry of lower atmosphere and clouds, in Venus II, Univ. of Arizona Press, p. 415, 1997. reference.ESPOSITOETAL1997 Grebowsky, J.M., R.J. Strangeway, and D.M. Hunten, Evidence for Venus lightning, in Venus II, Univ. of Arizona Press, p. 125, 1997. reference.GREBOWSKYETAL1997 HUNTER, C.J., Venus Express Chemical Propulsion System - The Mars Express Legacy, in Proceedings of the 4th International Spacecraft Propulsion Conference (ESA SP-555), held on the 2-9 June, Chia Laguna (Cagliari), 15 Oct 2004. reference.HUNTER2004 Kasprzak, W.T., G.M. Keating, N.C. Hsu, A.I.F. Stewart, W.B. Coldwell, and S.W. Bougher, Solar Cycle Behavior of the Thermosphere, in Venus II, Univ. of Arizona Press, p. 225, 1997. reference.KASPRZAKETAL1997 Lellouch, E., T. Clancy, D. Crisp, A.J. Kliore, D. Titov, and S.W. Bougher, Monitoring of mesospheric structure and dynamics, in Venus II, Univ. of Arizona Press, p. 295, 1997. reference.LELLOUCHETAL1997 Sanchez Perez, J.M., and J. Rodriguez Canabal, VEX-ESC-RP-5500: Venus Express: Consolidated Report on Mission Analysis (CREMA)', Issue 3, April 2005. reference.SANCHEZ-RODRIGU2005 Solomon, S.C. et al., Venus tectonics: an overview of Magellan observations, J. Geophys. Res., Vol. 97, p. 13199, 1992. reference.SOLOMONETAL1992 Williams, D.J., E.C. Roelof, and D.G. Mitchell, Global magnetospheric imaging, Rev. Geophys., Vol. 30, p. 183, 1992. reference.WILLIAMSETAL1992B Venus Express Mission 2005-11-09 Venus Express is ESA's first mission to Venus, launched on November 9, 2005. It used a modified Mars Express spacecraft design and is equipped with upgraded instruments from previous ESA missions. The mission aims to study Venus's atmosphere, plasma environment, and surface in detail. After launching on a Soyuz rocket, Venus Express spent 150 days in interplanetary transfer before entering orbit around Venus on April 11, 2006. The spacecraft's operational orbit is an elliptical quasi-polar orbit with a 24-hour cycle, peaking at 66,000 km and dipping to 250 km. The mission timeline comprised several phases, including pre-launch operations, early orbit, commissioning, and extended mission phases, with a focus on scientific observation. The latter included data collection and transmission related to Venus's atmosphere and surface dynamics over an expected lifespan of nearly 486 days, later extended in phases lasting until 2012. Data acquisition strategies involved various observation modes, including Earth and solar occultations, with specific objectives for each scientific instrument onboard. The mission's extended phases aimed to enhance observational coverage and conduct detailed studies based on prior findings. Overall, Venus Express contributed significantly to Venusian science by providing valuable insights into the planet’s characteristics and dynamics.