Starsem Venus Express Press Kit

Full press kit (PDF)

This new Starsem’s flight will boost European Space Agency’s Venus Express interplanetary probe into an Earth escape trajectory towards our nearest planetary neighbor.

This prestigious mission constitutes the 14th Starsem flight. Starsem’s close cooperation with the European Space Agency started in 2000, as the European-Russian venture successfully delivered the 4 Cluster-II scientific satellites, using similar versions of the Soyuz launch vehicle.

Then in June 2003, Starsem has successfully launched the European Space Agency’s Mars Express interplanetary probe to the Red Planet, starting the first European mission to Mars.

The purpose of flight ST14 is to inject the 1200 kg Venus Express spacecraft on an escape trajectory allowing the European probe to reach Venus after a 162-day travel through space.