The Magellan imaging radar mapping mission has collected and processed data from the spacecraft in an elliptical orbit around Venus. A brief description is given of the mission and the spacecraft, followed by a more detailed description of the radar system design, which used Earth-orbiting synthetic aperture radar (SAR) experience and several innovations in its design to operate from an orbit around another planet. The radar sensor, ground processing, and data products are described. This multimode radar is the only science instrument on the mission and has the objective of mapping at least 70% of the planet surface. It has three modes: 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. Some of the early radar images are shown.


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    Title :

    Magellan imaging radar mission to Venus


    Additional title:

    Die bildlich vorgestellte Magellan-Radar-Mission zur Venus


    Contributors:

    Published in:

    Proceedings of the IEEE ; 79 , 6 ; 777-790


    Publication date :

    1991


    Size :

    14 Seiten, 21 Quellen




    Type of media :

    Article (Journal)


    Type of material :

    Print


    Language :

    English




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