Vikings to Mars!

Viking 1 and 2

The Viking missions were ambitious explorations designed to help planetary scientists learn more about the surface of the Red Planet, as well as search for signs of ancient life. They were preceded by mapping missions such as the Mariners, and a variety of Soviet missions , as well as numerous observations from Earth. 

Viking 1 and Viking 2 were launched within a couple of weeks of each other.

Each spacecraft consisted of an orbiter and a lander, which traveled attached together for nearly a year to reach Mars orbit. Upon arrival, the orbiters began taking pictures of the Martian surface, from which final landing sites were selected. At that point, the landers separated from the orbiters and soft landed, while the orbiters continued imaging. Eventually both orbiters imaged the entire planet at what was then high resolution.

During their flights, the orbiters also conducted atmospheric water vapor measurements and infrared thermal mapping and flew within 90 kilometers of Phobos to take images of this larger, inner moon of Mars. The Viking landers took full 360-degree pictures, collected and analyzed samples of the Martian soil, and monitored the temperature, wind direction, and wind speed. They revealed further details of volcanoes, lava plains, huge canyons, and the effects of wind and water. Analysis of the soils at the landing sites showed them to be rich in iron, but devoid of any signs of life (past or present).

 

For most planetary scientists, the Viking landers were the first missions to truly tell them what the Red Planet was really like from "ground level". The appearance of seasonal frost on the surface told them something about the weather. Wind gauges revealed the near-constant movement of dust around the surface (something the Curiosity, Spirit, and Opportunity rovers studied in more detail decades later). 

Viking 1 Key Dates

 

• 08/20/75: Viking 1 Launch (21:22 UT)
• 06/19/76: Viking 1 Arrival at Mars
• 07/20/76: Viking 1 Mars Landing (11:53:56)
• 08/07/80: Viking 1 End of Mission (Orbiter)
• 02/01/83: Viking 1 End of Mission (Lander)
• Status: Viking 1 Mission Complete

 

Viking 2 Key Dates

 

• 09/09/75: Viking 2 Launch (18:39 UT)
• 08/07/76: Viking 2 Arrival at Mars
• 09/03/76: Viking 2 Mars Landing (22:37:50 UT)
• 07/24/78: Viking 2 End of Mission (Orbiter)
• 04/12/80: Viking 2 End of Mission (Lander)
• Status: Viking 2 Mission Complete

The Vikings set the stage for further missions to Mars, including an array of mappers, landers, and rovers.  These include the Mars Curiosity rover, the Mars Exploration Rovers, the Phoenix Lander, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, the Mars Orbiter Mission, MAVEN mission to study the climate, and many others sent by the U.S., Europe, India, Russia, and Great Britain. 

Future missions to Mars will eventually include Mars astronauts, who will take the first steps on the Red Planet, and examine this world first-hand. Their work will continue the exploration begun by the Viking missions. 

Edited by Carolyn Collins Petersen