Venus is set to receive twice the attention. NASA's Solar Orbiter will be focusing on Venus in partnership with the European Space Agency (ESA) on Aug. 9. But it won't stay there for too long. One day later, another ESA spacecraft, BepiColombo, will pass by Venus in partnership with Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).Both spacecraft are headed towards the inner solar system. Solar Orbiter was launched in 2020 on a mission to study sunlight. BepiColombo was launched in 2018, and has been on its way to Mercury ever since.Monday, August 9, Solar Orbiter will approach Venus from a distance approximately 4,967 miles (7.995 km). On Tuesday, August 10, BepiColombo will approach Venus at 342 miles (550km).Related: Venus glides by in serene video taken from the BepiColombo Spacecraft's flybyThese missions won't be the first to encounter Venus. The Solar Orbiter spacecraft made its first Venus flyby in December. It will continue to make many more trips around Venus over the years. BepiColombo flew past Venus in October and will next fly to Mercury. It made its first of six Mercury flybys this October.Both spacecraft were designed to make use of Venus's proximity on their way to their destinations. It's not a coincidence that they will be so close to Venus. BepiColombo and the Solar Orbiter both need Venus's gravitational swingby to reach their destinations. Solar Orbiter will make multiple use of Venus's gravity to move closer to the sun, and to change its direction to see the poles. This is a first for spacecraft. BepiColombo requires gravitational support from Earth, Venus, and Mercury.ESA stated that the double flyby will give them an "unique opportunity to study Venus' environment from multiple locations simultaneously." The spacecraft will also be able to view Venus from places it isn't normally seen.A visual impression of BepiColombo flies by Venus on August 10, 2021. Image credit: ESA/ATG medialabBecause Venus is not the main destination of either spacecraft, it will be impossible for either camera to take high resolution photos of the planet. According to ESA, Solar Orbiter must continue facing the sun while BepiColombo's main camera will be shielded from the sun until Mercury is delivered.Two of BepiColombo’s three monitoring cameras can take photos of Venus. These cameras will capture black-and-white images during the spacecraft's approach and for several days afterwards. The planet will be visible when BepiColombo approaches Venus. The planet will pass behind the spacecraft as it moves away from Venus. ESA expects to view the first image in the evening of August 10, while most other images will arrive by Aug. 11.Solar Orbiter could also be able to capture images of Venus. According to ESA, the SoloHI imaging system on the spacecraft may be able observe Venus' nightside in the week prior to its closest approach. The spacecraft will be separated by more than 357,000 miles (5575,000 km) even when they are closest to each other, so it will not be possible for them to take photos.These spacecraft also want images. ESA stated that Solar Orbiter as well as BepiColombo would collect data about the Venus' magnetic and plasma environments. The spacecraft will record multiple points of data about the environment, making it interesting to see how different locations work. ESA estimates that it will take several months to analyze the data from JAXA’s Akatsuki spacecraft orbiting Venus.Follow Kasandra Brabaw @KassieBrabaw. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @Spacedotcom
