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Magellan was the first planetary spacecraft to be launched from a space shuttle. It orbited Venus in a near polar, elliptical orbit, with a minimum altitude (periapsis) of 243 kilometers (150 miles). It made detailed maps of 98% of the planet's surface using synthetic aperture radar. Magellan revealed no evidence on Venus of plate tectonics, such as operates with such profound effect on Earth. Volcanoes have left their marks on 85% of Venus, with lava plains, lava domes, large shield volcanoes, and extremely long lava channels. The rest of the surface is covered with ranges of deformed mountains. Magellan also made detailed gravity maps of Venus, determining that the gravity field is highly correlated with surface topography.
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