| Japanese Venus climate orbiter PLANET-C is JAXA’s third planetary explorer succeeding Suisei (PLANET-A) and Nozomi (PLANET-B). PLANET-C will be launched in 2010 and travel around the sun to reach Venus within the same year, then it will enter the Venusian orbit.
PLANET-C will research the Venusian atmosphere, which is covered by thick clouds. It carries five cameras including ultraviolet and optical devices and even infrared cameras. Each of them will capture images of the clouds at different altitudes. The infrared cameras will look through the top layer of the clouds to see the lower atmosphere. Using these cameras, PLANET-C will take one photo every two hours at various wavelengths.
We have finished the Proto-Model integration test of major components of VCO in December 2007. In March 2008, we finished the CDR for the phase-up (to Phase D). The flight model development will be finalized by 2009 and the final integration test will be done during whole 2009. There is no delay in schedule so far. |