Viking Program - Mars Landers
1975-1976 · 20th Century
NASA's Viking program sent two spacecraft — each consisting of an orbiter and a lander — to Mars. Viking 1 launched on August 20, 1975, and Viking 2 on September 9, 1975. Viking 1 landed at Chryse Planitia on July 20, 1976, becoming the first U.S. spacecraft to successfully land on Mars. Viking 2 followed at Utopia Planitia on September 3, 1976. Both landers conducted biology experiments searching for signs of microbial life and returned the first color photographs from the Martian surface. The program operated until 1982.
Key Figures
Gerald SoffenThomas A. MutchCarl SaganJames Martin
Locations
Jet Propulsion LaboratoryChryse PlanitiaUtopia PlanitiaNASA Langley Research Center
Topics
mars pathfindermars landersviking programNASA
Connected Events — 2 Connections
Established the fundamental technical and operational framework for Mars surface operations that directly enabled Perseverance's mission architecture, including entry-descent-landing systems, surface power generation, and communication protocols with Earth NASA Perseverance Rover Lands on Mars
Explorer 1's success established JPL as NASA's primary deep space exploration center, providing the institutional foundation and expertise that enabled JPL to lead the Viking Mars missions Explorer 1 Satellite Launched
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