Venus probe

This is an artist's impression of the Venus Express entering Venus' orbit on Tuesday. In this phase of the mission, the most challenging since launch, the spacecraft's main engine burns for about 50 minutes to reduce its speed as it approaches Venus. This enables the Venus Express to be captured by the planet's gravitation.

"Everything went as it was planned, clearly, without difficulties," said Gaele Winters, the European Space Agency's director of operations. "This is a great success."

April 11, 2006 9:13 AM PDT

Photo by: Credit: AOES Medialab/European Space Agency