Hatsune Miku's voyage through space has finally come to an end after 15 long years. The Japanese space probe Akatsuki has officially ceased operations, as reported by Automaton. The probe was originally launched on May 21, 2010, after famously being decorated with some 13,000 Hatsune Miku drawings and messages submitted by fans.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) sent the probe next door to Venus to study the planet's weather patterns and look for "signs of active volcanism." The probe also captured some stunning images of Venus that show the milky coffee hues of its atmosphere. JAXA reported that it lost contact with the probe in April 2024 and operations were officially terminated on Thursday. Akatsuki was the only operational probe specifically focused on studying Venus over the past ten years.
