The Japanese Akatsuki (Planet-C) spacecraft finally entered orbit around the planet Venus after a five-year odyssey. The spacecraft made an engine firing of an attitude control engine at 2351 GMT on 6 December 2015. Originally launched in May 2010, the JAXA owned spacecraft had been due to make its entry into orbit around the planet after a seven-month journey. However, a main engine cut off less than a quarter of the way through a 12-minute burn, which meant that it did not slow down fast enough and the orbit insertion was missed. This engine was later found to be faulty and it was left to the thrusters to make the necessary correction burns to achieve an intercept trajectory with the planet five years later. These same thrusters, which are normally employed for attitude control, were used to make the final braking burn into orbit around the planet.
Post script: JAXA’s asteroid probe Huyabusa 2 made an Earth swing-by on 3 December 2015 on its way to its destination asteroid.
