An artist’s impression of Galileo
Magellan
The Magellan spacecraft, also referred to as the Venus Radar Mapper, was a 1,035-kilogram (2,280 lb) robotic space probe launched by NASA on May 4, 1989, to map the surface of Venus using Synthetic Aperture Radar and measure the planetary gravity. It was the first interplanetary mission to be launched from the Space Shuttle, the first to use an inertial upper stage booster and was the first spacecraft to test aerobraking as a method for circularizing an orbit. Magellan was the fourth successful, NASA funded mission to Venus and ended an eleven-year U.S. interplanetary exploration hiatus.
The objectives of the mission included:
Obtain near-global radar images of Venus' surface with a resolution equivalent to optical imaging of 1 km per line pair. (primary)
Obtain a near-global topographic map with 50 km spatial and 100 m vertical resolution.
Obtain near-global gravity field data with 700 km resolution and 2–3 milligals accuracy.
Develop an understanding of the geological structure of the planet, including its density distribution and dynamics.
An artist’s impression of Magellan
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