Japan’s H-IIA Launch Vehicle has successfully lofted the Venus Climate Orbiter, a solar sail experiment and several small mini-payloads.
The booster lifted off on May 21 from the Tanegashima Space Center.
AKATSUKI, the Venus Climate Orbiter mission (PLANET-C), is on its way. It aims to understand the atmospheric circulation of Venus. Meteorological information will be obtained by globally mapping clouds and minor constituents successively with 4 cameras at ultraviolet and infrared wavelengths, detecting lightning with a high-speed imager, and observing the vertical structure of the atmosphere with radio science technique.
Meanwhile, the solar sail experiment, IKAROS, is on its own too. Prior to unleashing its set of thin sails in a few weeks, the craft will undergo intensive checkout.
IKAROS stands for Interplanetary Kite-craft Accelerated by Radiation Of the Sun. This is the world’s first solar powered sail craft employing both photon propulsion and thin film solar power generation during its interplanetary cruise.
The mission is under the wing of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).