Magellan's pictures, which cover 98 percent of the planet, show features as small as 120 meters (394 feet) in size. Together, they gave scientists a stunningly detailed view of this mysterious world. Scientists also used Magellan's radio signals to map the planet's gravitational field, which in turn let them peer beneath the surface to learn about the structure of Venus' interior.

Magellan's demise was no accident. Scientists planned the fiery plunge when they knew the craft was near the end of its useful lifetime. Under command from Earth, Magellan lowered its orbit until it was skirting the upper layers of the planet's atmosphere. During Magellan's final orbits, scientists monitored the spacecraft's path and then analyzed the atmosphere's effects. The data helped them refine a technique called aerobraking, which was used by the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft beginning in 1997.