JPL
Careers
Education
Science & Technology
JPL Logo
JPL Logo
Image

Viking Lander Model

July 9, 2007
NASA's Viking Project found a place in history when it became the first U.S. mission to land a spacecraft successfully on the surface of Mars.

NASA's Viking Project found a place in history when it became the first mission to land a spacecraft successfully on the surface of another planet and return both imaging and non-imaging data over an extended time period. Two identical spacecraft, each consisting of a lander and an orbiter, were built. Each orbiter-lander pair flew together and entered Mars orbit; the landers then separated and descended to the planet's surface.

The Viking 1 Lander touched down on the western slope of Chryse Planitia (the Plains of Gold) on July 20, 1976, while the Viking 2 lander settled down at Utopia Planitia on September 3, 1976.

Besides taking photographs and collecting other science data on the Martian surface, the two landers conducted three biology experiments designed to look for possible signs of life. These experiments discovered unexpected and enigmatic chemical activity in the Martian soil, but provided no clear evidence for the presence of living microorganisms in soil near the landing sites. According to scientists, Mars is self-sterilizing. They believe the combination of solar ultraviolet radiation that saturates the surface, the extreme dryness of the soil and the oxidizing nature of the soil chemistry prevent the formation of living organisms in the Martian soil.

The Viking mission was planned to continue for 90 days after landing. Each orbiter and lander operated far beyond its design lifetime. Viking Orbiter 1 functioned until July 25, 1978, while Viking Orbiter 2 continued for four years and 1,489 orbits of Mars, concluding its mission August 7, 1980. Because of the variations in available sunlight, both landers were powered by radioisotope thermoelectric generators -- devices that create electricity from heat given off by the natural decay of plutonium. That power source allowed long-term science investigations that otherwise would not have been possible. The last data from Viking Lander 2 arrived at Earth on April 11, 1980. Viking Lander 1 made its final transmission to Earth November 11, 1982.

Download JPG
Download TIFF
Mission
Spacecraft
  • Viking Lander 2
  • Viking Lander 1
Credit
NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona

Keep Exploring

Signs of a Martian Ice Age

Martian Morning Clouds Seen by Viking Orbiter 1 in 1976

Hydrated Minerals Exposed at Lyot, Northern Mars

Mars Surface near Viking Lander 1 Footpad

Meridiani Planum

Gusev Crater

The Target

Morning on Chryse Planitia - Viking Lander 1 Camera 2 Mosaic

Morning on Chryse Planitia - Viking Lander 1 Camera 1 Mosaic

Afternoon on Chryse Planitia - Viking Lander 1 Camera 2 Mosaic

Related Topics

News .

NASA Orbiter Snaps Stunning Views of Mars Horizon

News .

NASA Uses Two Worlds to Test Future Mars Helicopter Designs

News .

NASA’s Mars Fleet Will Still Conduct Science While Lying Low

News .

NASA’s Curiosity Rover Clocks 4,000 Days on Mars

News .

NASA Is Locating Ice on Mars With This New Map

News .

NASA’s Perseverance Captures Dust-Filled Martian Whirlwind

News .

Historic Wind Tunnel Facility Testing NASA’s Mars Ascent Vehicle Rocket

News .

Autonomous Systems Help NASA’s Perseverance Do More Science on Mars

News .

NASA Releases Independent Review’s Mars Sample Return Report

News .

NASA’s Curiosity Reaches Mars Ridge Where Water Left Debris Pileup

About JPL
Who We Are
Executive Council
Directors
Careers
Internships
The JPL Story
JPL Achievements
Documentary Series
Annual Reports
JPL Plan: 2023-2026
Missions
Current
Past
Future
All
News
All
Earth
Solar System
Stars and Galaxies
Subscribe to JPL News
Galleries
Images
Videos
Audio
Podcasts
Apps
Visions of the Future
Slice of History
Robotics at JPL
Events
Lecture Series
Team Competitions
Speakers Bureau
Calendar
Visit
Public Tours
Virtual Tour
Directions and Maps
Topics
JPL Life
Solar System
Mars
Earth
Climate Change
Exoplanets
Stars and Galaxies
Robotics
More
Asteroid Watch
NASA's Eyes Visualizations
Universe - Internal Newsletter
Social Media
Get the Latest from JPL
Follow Us

JPL is a federally funded research and development center managed for NASA by Caltech.

More from JPL
Careers Education Science & Technology Acquisition JPL Store
Careers
Education
Science & Technology
Acquisition
JPL Store
Related NASA Sites
Basics of Spaceflight
Climate Kids
Earth / Global Climate Change
Exoplanet Exploration
Mars Exploration
Solar System Exploration
Space Place
NASA's Eyes Visualization Project
Voyager Interstellar Mission
NASA
Caltech
Privacy
Image Policy
FAQ
Feedback
Site Managers: Veronica McGregor, Randal Jackson
Site Editors: Tony Greicius, Naomi Hartono
CL#: 21-0018