The Japanese Planet-C Venus Climate Orbiter taht was launched by Japan in May, has arrived at Venus, but has experienced problems during the orbit-insertion

The probe, nicknamed "Akatsuki" (Dawn), reversed its engine to slow down and enter the planet's gravitational field, but lost contact with ground control, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) said.

It was presumed to have shifted itself into a "safe hold mode", and was able to communicate only by via one of its three antennae after the blackout ended.

After a few hours, engineers at NASA and JAXA, were able to lock on the probe's signal and found it shut itself down to protect itself. "That means at least things are looking better if not perfectly the best" said Sanjay Limaye, a University of Wisconsin who works with JAXA on the mission

"It is not known which path the probe is following at the moment. We are making maximum effort to readjust the probe." says JAXA official Munetaka Ueno told the press late Tuesday

Akatsuki i a box-shaped golden satellite fitted with two paddle-shaped solar panels and fitted with 5 cameras. The probe is to peer through the planet's thick layer of sulphuric acid clouds to monitor the meteorology of Venus, search for  lightning, and scan its surface for volcano-eruption.

Akatsuki will work closely with ESA's Venus Express probe allready orbiting Venus

Source: JAXA