The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has officially announced the conclusion of the Akatsuki mission on September 18, 2025. This marks the end of humanity's final active spacecraft orbiting Venus, concluding a significant chapter in planetary exploration.
Launched on May 21, 2010, Akatsuki was designed to study Venus's atmosphere and weather patterns. The mission faced an initial setback in December 2010 due to an engine malfunction during its first orbital insertion attempt. However, JAXA engineers successfully utilized secondary thrusters to guide the spacecraft into orbit in December 2015, making it Japan's first planetary orbiter beyond Earth. During its operational tenure, Akatsuki provided valuable data, identifying the largest stationary gravity waves ever recorded in the solar system and offering insights into Venus's super-rotating winds. It also pioneered data assimilation techniques for extraterrestrial climate studies.
JAXA reported a loss of contact with Akatsuki in April 2024, following the probe's entry into a low-precision attitude control mode. Despite recovery efforts, communication could not be reestablished, leading to the mission's official termination. The aging of the spacecraft and accumulated technical challenges contributed to this decision, with the mission significantly exceeding its designed lifespan.
With Akatsuki's decommissioning, Earth is now without any active spacecraft in orbit around Venus. However, the mission's scientific legacy is substantial, having inspired numerous research papers and paving the way for future exploration. Agencies such as NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) are actively developing new missions to Venus. These include NASA's VERITAS and DAVINCI missions, ESA's EnVision, and ISRO's Shukrayaan (Venus Orbiter Mission), which is slated for a March 2028 launch. These upcoming endeavors aim to build upon Akatsuki's discoveries, delving deeper into Venus's history, its potential for past habitability, and the processes that shaped its extreme environment.