The seismometer on the lander was, however, inoperable. Instruments recorded temperatures ranging from minus 123 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 86 degrees Celsius) before dawn to minus 27 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 33 degrees Celsius) in the afternoon. Besides high-resolution images, the lander also took a 300-degree panorama of its surroundings that showed not only parts of the spacecraft itself but also the gently rolling plains of the environs. Once down, the spacecraft began taking high-quality photographs (in three colors) of its surroundings. It landed about 17 miles (28 kilometers) from its planned target. The lander separated from the orbiter at 08:32 UT July 20, 1976, and after a complicated atmospheric entry sequence during which the probe took air samples, Viking Lander 1 set down safely at 22.483 degrees north latitude and 47.94 degrees west longitude at 11:53:06 UT July 20, 1976. Using the new photos, scientists targeted the lander to a different site on the western slopes of Chryse Planitia (Golden Plain). The same day, when the orbiter began transmitting back photos of the primary landing site in the Chryse region, scientists discovered that the area was rougher than expected. Viking 1 was the first of a pair of complex deep space probes that were designed to reach Mars and to collect evidence on the possibility on life on Mars. 11, 1982: Lander stopped operating after getting a faulty command In Depth: Viking 7, 1980: Orbiter was shut down after running out of it ran out of attitude control propellant June 19, 1976: Spacecraft entered orbit around MarsĪug. Pressure, Temperature, and Density Sensors Weather Instrument Package (Temperature, Pressure, Wind Velocity)ģ. Gas Chromatograph Mass Spectrometer (GCMS)Ħ. Infrared Radiometer for Thermal Mapping (IRTM)Ģ. infrared Spectrometer for Water Vapor Mapping (MAWD)ģ. Imaging System (2 Vidicon Cameras) (VIS)Ģ. NASA / Langley Research Center (LaRC) / Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) The landers returned 4,500 photos of the two landing sites. In total, the two Viking orbiters returned 52,663 images of Mars and mapped about 97 percent of the surface at a resolution of 984 feet (300 meters) resolution.Both NASA Viking missions used a combination of orbiter and lander to explore Mars in unprecedented detail.The Soviet Mars 3 lander claimed a technical first with a survivable landing in 1971, but contact was lost seconds after it touched down. NASA's Viking 1 made the first truly successful landing on Mars.

Nasa mars rover landing pictures