The European Space Agency's Venus Express has reached its final operational orbit after looping around the planet Venus 16 times.  The craft began final maneuvers on May 6 when it fired its engines so that its orbit would be tightened to one better situated for future missions.  The Venus Express entered the planet's orbit less than a month ago after a five month journey.  Each scientific instrument on the spacecraft are being turned on one by one to make sure that all of them are still in working order.  Space.com reports:

When Venus Express first entered orbit around its destination world, the probe’s orbit varied in altitude between 248 miles (400 kilometers) and 217,479 miles (350,000 kilometers). Despite the large distance to Venus at its farthest point, that initial, nine-day orbit excited researchers since it gave them their only global views of Venus for the planned 243-Earth day mission.  

Venus Express is already known for giving scientists and researchers a glimpse of Venus' south pole.  The first nominal science phase for the Venus Express begins on June 4.