Earth to Venus: Here We Come

By my reckoning, Venus Express is halfway to its destination—launched last 9 November and due at Venus on 6 April. Learn some geologic background on the Shrouded Planet while we're waiting.

Speaking of waiting, I sure like this fast-moving mission. Imagine being Sean Solomon, the top scientist for the Mercury MESSENGER mission. Not only did it take him decades to get the mission planned, funded and going, but the trip itself is an intricate pinball-machine trajectory that takes nearly 7 years to arrive at Mercury gently enough to enter orbit there. Solomon is surely watching his health to ensure that he lives until 2011. (Meanwhile, have a look at Mercury's geology.)