Viking 1 returned this, the first image from the surface of Mars, shortly after landing. Credit: NASA/JPL-CALTECH
Takeaway Keyway:
- Viking 1 was the first space vehicle to successfully land on Mars and send data.
- Viking 1 orbit contributed to choosing the Lander landing site.
- Both Orbiter and Lander sent information on the surface and atmosphere of Mars.
- The mission has sought signs of life on Mars.
Viking 1 landed on Mars on 20 July 1976, the first space vehicle to do it and successfully return the data. (The Soviet Lader Mars 3 had landed in 1971, but the contact was interrupted before all the data could be received.) The two Viking space vehicles were designed to be both ORBITER and Landers; The main objective of the Orbiter was to send photos to help scientists select the right point on the surface for his landing. Viking 1 entered the orbit on June 19, 1976, sending photos of the rough terrain of the Chryse region that prompted Nasa to choose a new landing site in Chryse Planitia. The orbiter continued to work for another four years, while the Lander operated until November 1982, both restoring information on the red planet that could be used to characterize its surface and atmosphere and seek life.
