May 4, 2024
NASA’s Magellan spacecraft launched today in 1989. The purpose of the Magellan mission was to map the entire surface of the planet Venus. The mission ended in 1994 as the probe was sent into the crushing atmosphere of Venus.
The Magellan spacecraft being deployed from the Space Shuttle Atlantis in 1989. Image credit NASA Magellan image of the surface of Venus showing evidence of volcanism and cratering. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech