Viking 1

Viking 1
Viking orbiter
Mission typeMars Orbiter/Lander
OperatorNASA
COSPAR ID
SATCAT no.
  • Orbiter: 8108
  • Lander: 9024
WebsiteViking Project Information
Mission durationOrbiter: 1,846 days  (1797 sols)
Lander: 2,306 days  (2,245 sols)
Launch to last contact: 2,642 days
Spacecraft properties
ManufacturerOrbiter: JPL
Lander: Martin Marietta
Launch mass3,530 kg[a]
Dry massOrbiter: 883 kg (1,947 lb)
Lander: 572 kg (1,261 lb)
PowerOrbiter: 620 W
Lander: 70 W
Start of mission
Launch date21:22, August 20, 1975 (UTC) (1975-08-20T21:22Z)[2][3]
RocketTitan IIIE/Centaur
Launch siteLC-41, Cape Canaveral
ContractorMartin Marietta
End of mission
Last contactNovember 11, 1982 (1982-11-11)[4]
Orbital parameters
Reference systemAreocentric
Eccentricity0.88221
Periareion altitude320 km (200 mi)
Apoareion altitude56,000 km (35,000 mi)
Inclination39.3°
Period47.26 hours
EpochAugust 7, 1980
Mars orbiter
Spacecraft componentViking 1 Orbiter
Orbital insertionJune 19, 1976[2][5]
Mars lander
Spacecraft componentViking 1 Lander
Landing dateJuly 20, 1976[2]
11:53:06 UTC  (MSD 36455 18:40 AMT)
Landing site22°16′N 312°03′E / 22.27°N 312.05°E / 22.27; 312.05 (Viking 1 lander)[2]
Large Strategic Science Missions
Planetary Science Division

Viking 1 was the first of two spacecraft, along with Viking 2, each consisting of an orbiter and a lander, sent to Mars as part of NASA's Viking program.[2] The lander touched down on Mars on July 20, 1976, the first successful Mars lander in history. Viking 1 operated on Mars for 2,307 days (over 614 years) or 2245 Martian solar days, the longest extraterrestrial surface mission until the record was broken by the Opportunity rover on May 19, 2010.[6]

  1. ^ "Viking 1 Lander". National Space Science Data Center.
  2. ^ a b c d e Williams, David R. Dr. (December 18, 2006). "Viking Mission to Mars". NASA. Retrieved February 2, 2014.
  3. ^ "Viking 1". NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). NASA. October 19, 2016. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  4. ^ Shea, Garrett (September 20, 2018). "Beyond Earth: A Chronicle of Deep Space Exploration". NASA.
  5. ^ Nelson, Jon. "Viking 1". NASA. Retrieved February 2, 2014.
  6. ^ Thompson, Andrea (April 30, 2010). "Record for Longest Mars Mission Ever May be Broken". Space.com. Retrieved June 14, 2024.


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