ABSTRACT
The Magellan mission has the goal of mapping the planet Venus using a single radar sensor which collects synthetic aperture radar images, and microwave altimetry and radiometry data. Magellan’s uplink process satisfies mission objectives by developing and uploading sequences of platform and payload activities that respond to requests for user or engineering data, interspersed with supporting ground events. Magellan’s downlink process is complicated by its high science data rate requirement. In addition to the usual financial and other administrative assistance, the Project Managers’ staffs consist of a Project Scientist, assisted by a subset of Magellan’s scientists known as the Project Science Group. Most of Magellan’s planned commanding is performed through its standard command process. The Magellan program has a combined hardware and software simulator called the systems verification laboratory. Progressing down the left-hand side of the figure, round-trip and one-way light time is shown, followed by Magellan allocations of the various antennas at the Deep Space Network complexes.
