European space probes Solar orbiter e BepiColomboThe satellite with Portuguese technology and science will pass close to Venus on August 9 and 10, respectively, the European Space Agency (ESA) reported on Monday. Passing through Venus is a necessary maneuver for both probes to reach their destination.
BUT Solar orbiterLaunched in February 2020, the spacecraft to observe the Sun is part of a partnership between ESA and its American counterpart NASA. THE BepiColombo, which, strictly speaking, consists of two probes sent into space in the module in October 2018, is aimed at exploring Mercury as part of a joint mission by ESA and the Japanese company Jaxa.
According to the ESA, the passage of probes through Venus “provides an unprecedented opportunity to study the environment of Venus from different places at the same time and, in addition, from places that are not usually visited by planetary orbiters.”
Closest approximation Solar orbiter – designed to get the first images of the Sun’s poles – Venus will be at 5:42 am (Lisbon time) on August 9 at an altitude of 7995 kilometers, while the Sun will be as close to it as possible. BepiColombo it will be at 14:48 on August 10, 550 kilometers away. It will not be possible to obtain high-resolution images of Venus, only black and white photographs taken by two of the three cameras in the module. BepiColombo… The first image is expected to be available on August 10, with most of the rest the next day.
According to ESA, there may be an opportunity this week for Solar orbiter observe the night side of Venus. The European Space Agency also hopes that the data collected during the passage Solar orbiter and yes BepiColombo from Venus can provide useful information for the probe mission EnVisionto be launched in 2030 to study the planet’s atmosphere.
In early October this year, the BepiColombo module, which transports two probes, will make the first of six approaches to Mercury at an altitude of 200 kilometers above sea level. Two probes will be placed in orbit around the planet in late 2025 to study, namely its magnetic field and the exosphere (outer layer of the atmosphere).
Astrophysicist Joana S. Oliveira is part of the mission’s scientific team. BepiColombo ESA and Efacec have built electronic equipment that monitors cosmic radiation during flight and operation of one of the module’s probes.
November 27 Solar orbiter will make the last approach to Earth at an altitude of 460 kilometers. Thereafter, it will regularly pass through Venus in order to gradually increase the slope of its trajectory for better observation of the polar regions of the Sun, which is important for understanding the solar activity cycle. Portuguese companies Critical Software, Active Space Technologies and Deimos Engenharia have participated in several solar probe components.
