Page 38 - Italy In Space
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Interplanetary Probes [5]
February 16, 2006. Venus Express arrives in the Venus Orbit. It is equipped, among others, with 2
Italian instruments: PFS (Planetary Fourier Spectrometer) designed to perform infrared vertical optical
sounding of the Venus atmosphere (based on Mars Express‟ PFAS implemented by ISFI - Rome, Italy)
and VIRTIS (Visible and Infrared Thermal Imaging Spectrometer) based on the tool designed for
Rosetta by INAF - Rome, and implemented by Selex Es.
February 27, 2006. Closest approach of Cassini with Titan. Radar images appear to show lakes of
liquid hydrocarbon, such as methane. The mission has been extended until 2017. Cover
commemorating the approach to Titan, cancelled at Pasadena where is based the NASA’s JPL Deep
Space Network Tracking Station supporting the space probe.
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