Two possible futures for Akatsuki
There are two intriguing possibilities being discussed in the Japanese media for what to do with Akatsuki, a space probe in orbit near Venus with a fully functional, highly capable suite of cameras but a damaged main engine. Asahi Shumbun reported on January 3 (in Japanese) that JAXA is considering adjusting Akatsuki’s orbit to allow it to fly past an asteroid or two. @hee913758 on Twitter translated the story for me: In order to make good use ….