Surfing an alien atmosphere

(ESA) - Venus Express has completed an 'aerodrag' campaign that used its solar wings as sails to catch faint wisps of the planet?s atmosphere. The test used the orbiter as an exquisitely accurate sensor to measure atmospheric density barely 180 km above the hot planet.

During five aerodrag measurements last week, Venus Express' solar arrays and control systems were operated as one big flying sensor, with the solar arrays rotated at various angles to the direction of flight.


On the las [...]

Full story at http://spacefellowship.com/news/art19695/surfing-an-alien-atmosphere.html