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LANDING SITEChryse Planitia
LAT22.27°
LON-47.95°
MARS
Jul 20, 1976
LANDING DATE
1976
6 years 4 months
MISSION DURATION
TOTAL
-86 to -33 C (measured)
SURFACE TEMP
AT LANDING SITE
572
KG
MASS
7
INSTRUMENTS
SCIENTIFIC PAYLOAD
Viking 1 is a lander mission by NASA / JPL on Mars. Landed July 20, 1976. Landing site: Chryse Planitia.
ABOUT VIKING 1
Viking 1 was the first spacecraft to successfully land on Mars and carry out a sustained mission. Touching down in Chryse Planitia on July 20, 1976 — exactly seven years after Apollo 11 — it returned the first color photographs from the Martian surface. Its three biology experiments tested Martian soil for signs of life, producing controversial results that are still debated today. The GCMS detected no organic molecules, suggesting the soil is sterilized by oxidants. Viking 1 operated for over six years, far exceeding its 90-day design life.
KEY DISCOVERIES
- First color panoramic images of Mars surface
- Biology experiments gave ambiguous results (still debated)
- No organic molecules detected by GCMS
- Mars soil is oxidizing and hostile to known life
- Daily weather patterns and seasonal frost cycles documented
TECHNOLOGY & FIRSTS
- First successful lander to operate on Mars
- First color photographs from Mars surface
- Conducted the only dedicated life-detection experiments on Mars
- Operated for over 6 years on nuclear power
SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS (7)
Facsimile cameras (2)
Gas Chromatograph Mass Spectrometer (GCMS)
Biology experiments: Labeled Release, Gas Exchange, Pyrolytic Release
X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometer
Meteorology instruments (temperature, pressure, wind)
Seismometer
Soil sampler arm
SPACECRAFT SPECIFICATIONS
Mass572 kg (1,261 lbs)
PowerRTG (SNAP-19, Plutonium-238) (70W)
CommunicationsS-band direct to Earth, UHF relay via orbiter
Design Life90 days
Landing DateJuly 20, 1976
Mission EndNovember 13, 1982
ProgramViking
SURFACE DATA
Surface Temperature-86 to -33 C (measured)
Surface Pressure7.7 mbar (measured)
Soil CompositionIron-rich clay: 44% SiO2, 18% Fe2O3, 5.7% MgO, 5.3% CaO, 0.9% TiO2
🚀 LAUNCH MISSION