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Magellan (spacecraft) facts for kids

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Magellan at Kennedy Space Center
The Magellan spacecraft
GulaMons SifMons southeast
A view of Venus, created from radar information from Magellan

The Magellan spacecraft, also called the Venus Radar Mapper, was a NASA spacecraft designed to explore the planet Venus. It was launched on May 4, 1989, and reached Venus on August 10, 1990. It was in orbit around Venus for four years making detailed maps of the surface using radar and measuring the planet's gravity. Because of the thick atmosphere around the planet, the information from Magellan provided scientists with their first views of the surface of Venus. On October 12, 1994, the Magellan spacecraft was crashed into the planet on purpose.

The Magellan was the first spacecraft to be launched from a Space Shuttle, the Atlantis. It was also the first spacecraft to be deliberately crashed. Magellan was made from parts left over from other space exploration programs, including Voyager.

The Magellan was named after the Portuguese explorer, Ferdinand Magellan (1480-1521).

Images for kids

  • Magellan - spacecraft bus

    The Voyager probe spacecraft bus that formed the main body of Magellan

  • Magellan - attitude and propulsion

    Thrusters, Star 48 booster and the internal components of the Forward Equipment Module

  • Magellan - antennas

    Positions of the three antennas

  • Magellan - cycle 1 map - 1298972763463430062.580622

    Mosaic of the "left-looking" data collected during cycle 1

  • Magellan - cycle 2 map - 1299005988110004007.109767

    Mosaic of the "right-looking" data collected during cycle 2

  • Magellan Venus globes

    Five global views of Venus by Magellan

  • Magellan - end of mission poster - mgnlogo2

    A poster designed for the Magellan end of mission

  • Magellan diagramm

    Annotated diagram of Magellan

  • Magellan - Magellan Spacecraft in Preflight Checkout at Kennedy Space Center

    Magellan during pre-flight checkout

  • Magellan Preparations

    Magellan being fixed into position inside the payload bay of Atlantis prior to launch

  • STS-30 launch

    Launch of STS-30 on May 4, 1989

  • Atlantis and Magellan (3)

    The spacecraft in a deployment position in Atlantis' payload bay

  • Magellan deploy

    Deployment of Magellan with Inertial Upper Stage booster

  • Magellan - trajectory

    Trajectory of Magellan to Venus

  • Magellan - cycle 3 map - 1299006020759454362.039599

    Map of the stereo imaging collected by Magellan during cycle 3

  • GulaMons SifMons northeast

    Eistla Regio featuring Gula Mons reprojected in 3D from stereo data

  • Venus - 3D Perspective View of Maat Mons

    Reprojection of Maat Mons, with vertical exaggeration

  • Venus dome 3D

    Volcanic dome in Alpha Regio observed from reprojecting stereo data

  • Maxwell Montes of planet Venus

    Maxwell Montes, highest point on Venus

  • Bahet and Onatah Coronae PIA00461 scaled down

    Volcanoes as seen in the Fortuna region of Venus

  • Aphrodite Terra on Venus

    Aphrodite Terra, a rugged landscape

  • Addams crater on Venus

    Addams crater

  • Alpha Regio

    Pancake domes visible in Alpha Regio

  • Mgn f45n019 1

    A meandering lava channel from Fortuna Tessera to Sedna Planitia

  • Venusvulkan Tick-Typ

    An unusual volcanic edifice in the Eistla region

  • Isabella Crater PIA00480

    175-kilometer Isabella crater

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Magallanes (misión espacial) para niños

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