How NASA's Magellan spacecraft revealed the hidden volcanic landscape of Venus

Space · Published 23 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: For years, the Soviet Venera missions provided our best view of Venus. But in 1991, NASA's Magellan spacecraft arrived with a radar system so powerful it pierced the dense clouds to map 98% of the planet's surface with unprecedented clarity.

Before the arrival of the Magellan spacecraft, the primary data for studying the Venusian surface came from the U.S.S.R. Venera 15 and 16 missions, which operated in the early 1980s. While these missions were groundbreaking, the radar resolution of the Venera probes was limited. In certain regions, such as the area centered at 64 degrees north latitude and 110 degrees longitude, the Venera images initially depicted volcanic structures as nothing more than small hills.

The Magellan mission, operating in 1991, fundamentally changed this perspective. Using a superior radar imaging system, Magellan was able to identify approximately 200 small volcanoes within a single area that had previously been studied. These volcanoes, ranging in diameter from 2 to 12 kilometers (roughly 1.2 to 7.4 miles), were confirmed to be shield-type volcanoes. This geological classification was based on the observation of fluid lava flows, similar to the processes that form the Hawaiian Islands and various sea floor volcanoes.

These shield volcanoes are now recognized as the most abundant geological feature on Venus. Scientists estimate they may number in the hundreds of thousands, or perhaps even millions. This high volcanic density makes Venus one of only two planets in our solar system with such a vast number of volcanoes, the other being Earth. By observing variations in slope, summit crater sizes, and the age relationships between adjacent volcanoes, Magellan provided the essential data needed to understand the planet's geological evolution.

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