Why no VeRa images from VEX ?, I remember Magellan's radar pics Options

[GravityWaves]

See lots of stuff about Atmosphere, Wind, Clouds but nothing on the surface of Venus

[cndwrld]

A couple things on this.

VeRA can't image the surface, but it can do bi-static radar (BSR) observations of the surface. You point the big antenna at the surface, push out as much energy as you can, collect the reflection on Earth, and then puzzle over the results. It gives information on surface roughness and electrical properties, but no cool pictures. It also requires a very exact geometrical relationship between the spacecraft, the point on the surface of interest, and the receiver on Earth. On Venus Express, that orientation doesn't occur very often, so only about three or four BSR observations have been done so far. None of the results have been published so far, and the data is said to be under evaluation. The team is really understaffed, so planning observations takes up almost all their time, with nothing left for processing. They're looking into ways to improve that.

BSR experiment #1 (Maxwell Montes): successfully conducted despite VEX survival mode shortly before the experiment. The observation was only accomplished because the flight control team did an exemplary job of recovering from the safe mode the day before the BSR.
BSR experiments #2, #3: cancelled because of sun interference with other experiments.
BSR experiment #4: scheduled for 18 and 20 March 2007
BSR #5: planning completed for mid-June observation
BSR #6, 7: in the planning list for August and November


As was mentioned, the imaging spectrometer VIRTIS is being used to get images of the surface. More at:
http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Venus_Express/SEM4KXPJNVE_0.html

This is done in the IR, through a very dense atmosphere, by indirect methods. So the resolution is extremely low, and the method is still being worked on. But it gives the possibility of detecting large scale thermal events, such as volcanic activity. From this one can get cool pictures, but without great detail. Given that no active volcanism has been detected before, finding it would be really important.

The PFS instrument was properly designed to do this surface thermal analysis, but unfortunately it is not working. The work with VIRTIS is attempting to make up for some of what was lost.

Hope that helps.

[Littlebit]

None of the results have been published so far, and the data is said to be under evaluation. The team is really understaffed, so planning observations takes up almost all their time, with nothing left for processing. They're looking into ways to improve that.

mmmmm Venus Express at-home