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Departing Venus
Published:
December 18, 2015
MESSENGER Venus departure sequence.
Related
NASA's Mercury-bound Mariner 10 on the launch pad in 1973.
Mariner 10 on the Launch Pad
This "super-resolution” view of asteroid Bennu was created using eight images obtained by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft.
Asteroid Bennu from 205 miles
Aerial platforms can now be equipped to investigate the structure of Venus' atmosphere and its circulation, and also to determine the chemical nature of the gaseous atmosphere and clouds.
Aerial Platforms for the Scientific Exploration of Venus
The interaction of the solar wind with the Martian moon Phobos creates a complex electrical environment that could impact future exploration.
Electric Charging on Martian Moon Phobos
A look at the Dawn mission to Vesta and Ceres—representing some of its impressive achievements numerically.
Dawn by the Numbers
Dawn's futuristic, hyper-efficient ion propulsion system allows Dawn to go into orbit around two different solar system bodies, a first for any spacecraft.
Anatomy of an Ion Engine
Deep Space 1 spacecraft at a distance of 2.3 million miles (3.7 million kilometers) from Earth.
Deep Space 1 Spacecraft at 2.3 Million Miles
On Mars the seasonal polar caps are composed of dry ice (carbon dioxide).
Dry Ice on Mars
A simplified visualization of Saturn's magnetic field, or magnetosphere.
Saturn's Magnetic Field (Magnetosphere)
This image of asteroid 2015 TB145, a dead comet, was generated using radar data collected by the National Science Foundation's 1,000-foot (305-meter) Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico. The radar i...
Dead Comet
Chuck Berry (left) and Carl Sagan (right) at a Voyager 2 Neptune flyby celebration in August 1989.
Chuck Berry and Carl Sagan
This free NASA history eBook is a chronicle of humanity's attempts to send robotic travelers beyond Earth orbit.
Beyond Earth: A Chronicle of Deep Space Exploration
Too anxious to wait for the first official Mariner 4 processed image from Mars, employees attached these strips side by side to a display panel and hand colored the numbers like a paint-by-numbers ...
First Digital Image from Space (Mariner 4-Mars)
This image of a detached large block from Urvara Craters rim was obtained by NASAs Dawn spacecraft on July 16, 2018 from an altitude of about 35 miles (56 kilometers).
Large Block Detached from Urvara Crater's Rim
This image of a complex pattern on the floor of Occator Crater was obtained by NASAs Dawn spacecraft on July 16, 2018 from an altitude of about 58 miles (93 kilometers).
Complex Pattern on the Floor of Occator Crater
This image of the base of Occator Craters eastern wall next to the Vinalia Faculae was obtained by NASAs Dawn spacecraft on July 23, 2018 from an altitude of about 84 miles (135 kilometers).
Base of Occator Crater's Eastern Wall Next to the Vinalia Faculae
This image of a large block along the ridge of Urvara Crater was obtained by NASAs Dawn spacecraft on July 24, 2018 from an altitude of about 36 miles (58 kilometers).
Large Block Along the Ridge of Urvara Crater
This image of a fracture pattern on the floor of Occator Crater was obtained by NASAs Dawn spacecraft on July 25, 2018 from an altitude of about 87 miles (140 kilometers).
Fracture Pattern on the Floor of Occator Crater
This image of a fracture network on the floor of Occator Crater was obtained by NASAs Dawn spacecraft on July 26, 2018 from an altitude of about 94 miles (152 kilometers).
Fracture Network on the Floor of Occator Crater
This image of deep fractures in Occator Crater was obtained by NASAs Dawn spacecraft on July 31, 2018 from an altitude of about 31 miles (50 kilometers).
Deep Fractures in Occator Crater
This image of mass wasting features along Occator Craters rim was obtained by NASAs Dawn spacecraft on August 2, 2018 from an altitude of about 130 miles (210 kilometers).
Mass Wasting Features Along Occator Crater's Rim
This image of Occator Crater on Ceres limb -- long exposure -- was obtained by NASAs Dawn spacecraft on August 14, 2018 from an altitude of about 1149 miles (1849 kilometers).
Occator Crater on Ceres' Limb -- Long Exposure
This image of Occator Crater on Ceres limb -- short exposure -- was obtained by NASAs Dawn spacecraft on August 14, 2018 from an altitude of about 1149 miles (1849 kilometers).
Occator Crater on Ceres' Limb -- Short Exposure
A printout of Mariner 2 data sent back from Venus during the first-ever close visit to another planet.
Mariner 2: First to Explore Another Planet
A long, brown oval known as a "brown barge" in Jupiter's South Equatorial Belt is captured in this color-enhanced image from NASA's Juno spacecraft.
Juno Captures Elusive 'Brown Barge'
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NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has helped scientists get a better idea of the size of 'Oumuamua — the first known interstellar object to visit our solar system.
NASA Learns More About Interstellar Visitor 'Oumuamua
ESA's Science Programme Committee confirmed the continued operations of ten scientific missions in the agency's fleet up to 2022.
Extended Life for ESA's Science Missions
NASA's InSight lander is scheduled to touch down on the Red Planet at approximately 3 p.m. EST Nov. 26, and viewers everywhere can watch coverage of the event live on NASA Television, the agency's website and social media platforms.
NASA Brings Mars Landing, First in Six Years, to Viewers Everywhere Nov. 26
NASA will host a live Science Chat at 2 p.m. EST Wednesday, Nov. 7, to discuss upcoming encounters of two of the agency’s planetary missions, New Horizons and OSIRIS-REx.
NASA Hosts Science Chat on Two Upcoming Out-of-this-World Encounters
Engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, this week commanded the agency's Curiosity rover to switch to its second computer. The switch will enable engineers to do a detailed diagnosis of a technical issue that has prevented the rover's active computer from storing science and some key engineering data since Sept. 15.
Curiosity on the Move Again
If the InSight landing zone were ice cream, it would be vanilla.
The Mars InSight Landing Site Is Just Plain Perfect
