When did the Viking program begin and what was its origin?
The Viking program began in 1968 when NASA Langley Research Center took charge of the effort. This initiative grew from an earlier Voyager Mars program that never flew to the Red Planet.
Questions about Viking program
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What were the launch dates for Viking 1 and Viking 2 spacecraft?
Viking 1 lifted off on the 20th of August 1975 while a second identical probe followed on the 9th of September 1975. Both spacecraft were designed as pairs consisting of an orbiter and a lander.
How much power could the solar panels generate at Mars distance?
The eight solar panel wings contained 34,800 individual solar cells capable of generating 620 watts of power at Mars distance. Two nickel-cadmium batteries stored energy for periods when the spacecraft did not face the Sun directly.
On which dates did Viking 1 and Viking 2 touch down on Mars?
Viking 1 touched down on the 20th of July 1976 and Viking 2 successfully landed on the 3rd of September 1976. Each lander weighed approximately 600 kilograms upon final touchdown after burning through its propellant reserves.
What scientific instruments did the Viking landers carry to study Mars?
The landers carried two 360-degree cylindrical scan cameras, a sampler arm with a collector head, and a meteorology boom holding sensors for wind direction. An interior compartment housed the biology experiment alongside a gas chromatograph mass spectrometer.
When did the Viking program operations end and what caused the final communication loss?
Mission operations ended on the 21st of May 1983 when all craft eventually failed or shut down. Human error during a software update caused the final communication loss for the lander.