Magellan was a space probe made almost completely out of spare parts from other spacecraft. 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.

On August 10, 1990, Magellan entered Venus’ orbit. Magellan’s mission was to create a detailed map of at least 70% of Venus’ surface. It did this by bouncing radar waves off of 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. Magellan’s mission was a great success! It mapped 98% of Venus’ surface.

For the first 37 minutes of each orbit, the Synthetic Aperture Radar measures and records a 12- mile width of the planet’s surface. When Magellan reaches the high point of its orbit, the spacecraft turns its antenna toward Earth and sends the data. After 114 minutes of sending, the antenna is moved for another orbit of Venus. The spacecraft used this orbit to complete three mapping cycles of radar- imaging data and two cycles of gravity and radio science data.

After 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 98% of Venus.

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