Tokyo, Japan

Japan has lost contact with humanity's only active probe on the planet Venus, called Akatsuki or 'Dawn'. 

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The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) mission account for Akatsuki on Wednesday (May 29) took to X to announce that the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS) lost contact with the spacecraft after an operation in late April. 

ISAS "lost contact with Akatsuki after an operation in late April due to an extended period of low attitude stability control mode, and is currently making efforts to reestablish communication with the spacecraft," it said.

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Efforts, it said, are currently underway to reestablish contact with Akatsuki. This, as per space.com requires maintaining a stable orientation to point its antenna towards Earth.

What happens next?

A subsequent post from the Akatsuki team expressed gratitude for the public's support and promised updates on future plans once they are determined.

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"We will inform you about future plans once they are fixed. Thank you for your warm support," it said.

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The Akatsuki probe

Akatsuki, which translates to "dawn" in Japanese, as per the report, has already surpassed its primary mission objectives. The spacecraft began its extended operational phase in 2018. 

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Even if attempts to rescue Akatsuki fail, the mission has already significantly contributed to humanity's understanding of Venus' climate and atmospheric dynamics. It has also demonstrated the problem-solving capabilities of JAXA engineers.

In any case, even if Akatsuki is deemed irretrievable, the planet Venus will not remain unobserved for long. 

Curiosity over Earth's sister planet's extreme greenhouse effect — which makes it the hottest planet in the solar system — and the intriguing potential biomarkers detected in its atmosphere, have sparked renewed scientific interest. 

Already, NASA, the European Space Agency, India, and a private venture have announced future missions to explore Venus and continuing the quest to unravel its mysteries later in the decade.

(With inputs from agencies)