Viking 2
Second Viking orbiter and Mars lander
Viking 2 followed its twin to Mars, entered orbit on August 7, 1976, and landed in Utopia Planitia on September 3. Its expanded global mapping while the studied a colder, rockier surface site, extending the Viking program's weather, imaging, chemistry, and biology investigation.
Mission dossier
Flight profile, locations, hardware, and outcome in the same reference format used throughout the archive.
Flight profile
- Launch
- September 9, 1975
Places and recovery
- Destination
- Mars
Mission record
- Mars orbit insertion
- August 7, 1976
- Surface landing
- September 3, 1976
- Orbiter mission end
- July 24, 1978
- Lander mission end
- April 12, 1980
- Launch vehicle
- Titan IIIE-Centaur
- Vehicle
- Viking 2
- Mission type
- Robotic Mars and
- Crew members
- 0
- Program
- Viking
- Outcome
- Completed successfully
- Archive classification
- Robotic or uncrewed spaceflight
- Primary objective
- Extend Viking orbital mapping and surface science at a second Mars landing site
Mission Purpose
2 sources- Operate Viking 2 at Mars while collecting the mission's planned science or engineering measurements.
- Return and preserve the mission's observations, engineering results, and lessons for later exploration work.
- Second Viking and mission.
- Deliver Viking 2 to Mars and complete the planned arrival, descent, landing, or deployment sequence.
Planned Flight Plan
2 sources- September 9, 1975
Viking 2 begins
Viking 2 was assigned to Operate Viking 2 at Mars while collecting the mission's planned science or engineering measurements.
- Primary phase
Return and preserve the mission's observations, engineering results, and lessons for later exploration work
Robotic spacecraft: Viking 2; Destination: Mars
- Mission objective
Second Viking and mission
Viking 2 operated within Mars to pursue the program objective.
- Completed
Viking 2 outcome
Viking 2 concluded with the recorded status Completed: Second Viking orbiter and Mars lander.
Mission Timeline
2 sources- September 9, 1975
Viking 2 begins
Viking 2 began Viking 2 to Operate Viking 2 at Mars while collecting the mission's planned science or engineering measurements.
- Operations
Return and preserve the mission's observations, engineering results, and lessons for later exploration work
Robotic spacecraft: Viking 2; Destination: Mars
- Defining result
Second Viking and Mars
Viking 2 followed its twin to Mars, entered orbit on August 7, 1976, and landed in Utopia Planitia on September 3.
- Completed
Viking 2: Completed
Deliver Viking 2 to Mars and complete the planned arrival, descent, landing, or deployment sequence.
Open operation record