Today in the history of astronomy, a spacecraft makes the first successful Mars landing.
Viking 1 returned this, the first image from the surface of Mars, shortly after landing. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
- Viking 1 was the first spacecraft to successfully land on Mars and send back data.
- Viking 1’s orbiter helped choose the lander’s landing site.
- Both the orbiter and lander sent back information about Mars’ surface and atmosphere.
- The mission searched for signs of life on Mars.
Viking 1 landed on Mars on July 20, 1976, the first spacecraft to do so and successfully return data. (The Soviet Mars 3 lander had touched down in 1971, but contact was cut off before any data could be received.) The two Viking spacecrafts were designed to be both orbiters and landers; the orbiter’s primary goal was to send back photos to help scientists select the right spot on the surface for its landing. Viking 1 entered orbit on June 19, 1976, sending back photos of the rough terrain of the Chryse region that prompted NASA to choose a new landing site on Chryse Planitia. The orbiter continued to function for a further four years, while the lander operated until November 1982, both returning information about the Red Planet that could be used to characterize its surface and atmosphere and search for life.
