|
|
|
"Astronauts, its 6:00 p.m. Time to launch the Magellan payload," said the commander. "Controlling robotic arm. Picking up payload. Payload is out of the cargo hold. Launching payload," replied the payload specialist. "Mission complete!" cried the commander.
Magellan
Magellan was a space probe made almost completely out of spare parts from other spacecrafts. It carried a radar and radio antenna. Magellan was launched from the space shuttle Atlantis on May 4, 1989, becoming the first probe launched from a space shuttle. After launch, it traveled to Venus. When it reached its destination it started its mission!
Magellan’s MissionMagellan’s mission was to create a detailed map of at least 70% of Venus’ surface. It did this by bouncing radar waves off the planet. It could tell if there were mountains and what the surface was made out of by how fast the radar came back. After it got information, it sent it back to Earth by the radar antenna. It was such a success it mapped 98% of Venus by the time it left in September of 1992. Before Magellan, all 20 spacecrafts that had attempted to map Venus failed.
ConclusionAfter Magellan’s mission, it burned up as it entered Venus’ atmosphere, a fitting death for the first probe launched from a space shuttle and the first spacecraft to map Venus entirely. |
|
Space Exploration of the Past, Present, and Future
|
