May 4, 2023
On this date in 1989, the Magellan spacecraft was launched aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis. A day later, Magellan would be deployed by members of the STS-30R crew. It was the first deep space probe launched by the Space Shuttle. Magellan was the first spacecraft to image the entire surface of Venus.
The Magellan spacecraft being deployed from the Space Shuttle. Image credit: NASA
