Akatsuki
AgencyJAXA
Year2010
TypeVenus orbit
RocketH-IIA
CountryJapan
About the Mission
Failed to enter Venus orbit in 2010 when its main engine died. Engineers kept it alive in solar orbit for 5 years, then used small thrusters to slip into orbit in 2015. Now studies the Venus atmosphere and its super rotating clouds. Detected a giant stationary wave over the surface. An astonishing rescue of a lost mission.
Related Missions
Hayabusa2
Japans second asteroid sample return mission. Visited Ryugu, a diamond-shaped asteroid. Fired a copp...
Hayabusa
The first mission to return material from an asteroid, though it nearly failed completely. Suffered ...
IKAROS
The first spacecraft propelled primarily by a solar sail in deep space. Its square sail, 14 meters o...
SLIM
The first Japanese Moon landing, in January 2024. Demonstrated pinpoint targeting, touching down wit...