NASA Photo ID: S88-51854 File Name: 10063251.jpg
Film Type: 4x5 Date Taken: 11/02/88
Title: Artist concept of Magellan spacecraft above Venusian surface
Description:
Artist concept shows Magellan spacecraft in cruise configuration oriented
above Venusian surface, during data collection and radar mapping sequence.
Solar panels are deployed and low-gain and high gain antennas, altimeter
antenna, thermal control louvers, forward equipment module, equipment bus
with thermal control louvers, and control rocket engine module are visible.
The continued quest for detailed topographic measurements of Venus will
again be undertaken in April 1989 by Magellan, named after the 16th
century Portuguese explorer. Magellan will orbit Venus about once every
three hours, acquiring radar data for 37 minutes of each orbit when it is
closest to the surface. Using an advanced instrument called a synthetic
aperature radar (SAR), it will map more than 90 per cent of the surface
with resolution ten times better than the best prior spacecraft. Magellan
is managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL); Martin Marietta is
developing the spacecraft and Hughes Aircraft Company, the advanced
imaging radar. Magellan will be deployed from the payload bay (PLB) of
Atlantis, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 104, during mission STS-30. View provided
by JPL with alternate number P31067.
Subject terms:
EARTH (PLANET)
MAGELLAN SPACECRAFT (NASA)
STS-30
VENUS (PLANET)
VISUAL AIDS
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