Uncrewed spacecraftMission concluded
Viking 1
Mars orbiter and lander spacecraft
Vehicle and mission dossier
Viking 1
Viking 1 carried an and to Mars, entered orbit on June 19, 1976, and placed its lander safely in Chryse Planitia on July 20. The spacecraft returned orbital mapping, weather, surface-imaging, chemistry, and biology data; its orbiter and lander both operated years beyond their planned lifetimes.
Flight profile
- Launch
- August 20, 1975
Places and recovery
Vehicle record
- Manufacturer
- Martin Marietta
- Configuration
- Mars orbiter and lander
- Mars orbit insertion
- June 19, 1976
- Surface landing
- July 20, 1976
- Launch vehicle
- Titan IIIE-Centaur
- Status
- Mission completed; lander silent on Mars
- Orbiter mission end
- August 7, 1980
- Lander mission end
- November 13, 1982
- Destination
- Mars
- Mission type
- Robotic Mars orbiter and lander
- Crew members
- 0
- Program
- Viking
- Outcome
- Completed successfully
- Archive classification
- Robotic or uncrewed spaceflight
- Primary objective
- Orbit Mars, land safely, characterize the surface, and search for possible signs of life
Flight objectives
- Operate Viking 1 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.
- First fully successful Mars landing mission.
- Deliver Viking 1 to Mars and complete the planned arrival, descent, landing, or deployment sequence.
Flight timeline
- August 20, 1975Viking 1 beginsViking 1 began Viking 1 to Operate Viking 1 at Mars while collecting the mission's planned science or engineering measurements.
- OperationsReturn and preserve the mission's observations, engineering results, and lessons for later exploration workRobotic spacecraft: Viking 1; Destination: Mars
- Defining resultFirst fully successful Mars surface missionViking 1 carried an and to Mars, entered orbit on June 19, 1976, and placed its lander safely in Chryse Planitia on July 20.
- CompletedViking 1: CompletedDeliver Viking 1 to Mars and complete the planned arrival, descent, landing, or deployment sequence.