Europe to Venus on a shoestring

摘要

The European Space Agency has trumped its American rival, at least when it comes to cheaper, faster missions. While NASA gave up on the concept years ago, last week ESA successfully launched Venus Express - a Mars Express knock-off - in record time and well within budget. ESA's probe, which lifted off atop a Russian Soyuz-Fregat rocket from Kazakhstan, is designed to discover why Venus has ended up like a vision of hell despite being Earth's twin in size and composition.