On this day in space! Nov. 8, 2005: Europe launches Venus Express, its first mission to Venus

The European Space Agency (ESA) successfully launched the Venus Express spacecraft on November 8, 2005, marking a significant milestone for interplanetary exploration. The primary objective of the mission was to study the planet Venus, providing unprecedented data about its atmosphere and surface. Launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Venus Express entered orbit around Venus on December 11, 2006. During its operational life, which lasted until October 28, 2014, the probe gathered valuable information regarding the planet’s complex atmospheric processes and geological features. This mission represented Europe's first dedicated endeavor focused solely on understanding Venus.