European Space Agency
Paris, 24 January 2003
Press Release

The European Space Agency (ESA) and Astrium will sign, on Tuesday 28 January, at ESA HQ at 02:00 p.m., a contract for the design and development of Venus Express, the first European spacecraft to visit the planet Venus.

Venus Express is scheduled for launch from the Ba?konur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan during November 2005. It will be carried into space by a Soyuz-Fregat rocket and placed immediately in its transfer orbit to Venus. Its journey through space will last about 5 months for a mission duration around Venus of nearly 2 venusian years.

Media representatives wishing to attend the signature ? ESA HQ (8/10, rue Mario Nikis - Paris15) are kindly requested to complete the attached accreditation form and return it, preferably by fax, to the ESA Media Relations Service in Paris (Fax: +33.1.5369.7690).

For further information please contact :
ESA Media Relations Service
Tel: +33.1.5369.7155
Fax: +33.1.5369.7690

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Please fax this form back to
ESA Media Relations Service
Fax: +33(0)1.53.69.7690