JAXA's Akatsuki probe goes silent after more than a decade studying Venus

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has lost contact with the only active Venus probe, Akatsuki. The Institute of Space and Astronautical Science "has lost contact with Akatsuki after an operation in late April due to an extended period of low attitude stability control mode and is currently making efforts to …

[frankvw]

14 years? Not bad at all

Given the setbacks the JAXA team had to deal with, stretching even a somewhat downgraded science mission to 14 years is not too shabby. Beers all 'round!

[Pascal Monett]

Re: 14 years? Not bad at all

Not only 14, but more than 3 times the initially-planned period.

As usual, space missions far outlast their initial planning - when they don't fail right at the start, that is.

More than can be said for most earth-bound projects . . .

[Oneman2Many]

Hopefully once SpaceX have some Artemis experience under their belt then Dear Moon will still happen. And Polaris III is supposed to be on Starship.