MAGELLAN IMAGING RADAR MISSION TO VENUS

The Magellan imaging radar mapping mission has collected and processed data from the spacecraft in an elliptical orbit around Venus. This multimode radar is the only science instrument on the mission and has the objectives of mapping at least 70% of the planet surface. It has three modes: synthetic aperture radar (SAR), altimetry, and passive radiometry. The radar system has produced maps of almost all of the Venusian surface with a resolution better than 600 m equivalent optical line pair and the best resolution obtained is equivalent to less than 300 m. The system design and operation required to produce the high resolution images from an elliptical orbit was complex and innovative. This paper describes the mission, the spacecraft, and the radar system design including the sensor in detail, the ground processing, and data products; lastly, some of the radar images are shown.