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| title | chunk | source | category | tags | date_saved | instance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Viking program | 4/4 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viking_program | reference | science, encyclopedia | 2026-05-05T13:26:24.056801+00:00 | kb-cron |
The Viking program ended on May 21, 1983. To prevent an imminent impact with Mars the orbit of Viking 1 orbiter was raised on August 7, 1980, before it was shut down 10 days later. Impact and potential contamination on the planet's surface is possible from 2019 onwards. The Viking 1 lander was found to be about 6 kilometers from its planned landing site by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter in December 2006.
== Message artifact ==
Each 'Viking' lander carried a tiny dot of microfilm containing the names of several thousand people who had worked on the mission. Several earlier and later space probes had carried message artifacts, such as the Pioneer plaque and the Voyager Golden Record. Later probes also carried memorials or lists of names, such as the Perseverance rover which recognizes the almost 11 million people who signed up to include their names on the mission.
== See also == Exploration of Mars Life on Mars – Assessments of possible life on Mars List of missions to Mars Mars Science Laboratory – Robotic mission that deployed the Curiosity rover to Mars in 2012 Mars Pathfinder – Mission including first robotic rover to operate on Mars (1997) Norman L. Crabill – NASA engineer (1926–2024)
== References ==
== Further reading == On Mars: Exploration of the Red Planet Archived February 5, 2007, at the Wayback Machine Viking Orbiter Views of Mars The Martian Landscape SP-425 Analytical Chemistry feature article about the Viking spacecraft's scientific mission Viking '75 spacecraft design and test summary. Volume 1 Lander design – NASA Report Archived October 27, 2020, at the Wayback Machine Viking '75 spacecraft design and test summary. Volume 2 Orbiter design – NASA Report Archived October 27, 2020, at the Wayback Machine Viking '75 spacecraft design and test summary. Volume 3 Engineering test summary – NASA Report Archived October 28, 2020, at the Wayback Machine
== External links ==
NASA Mars Viking Mission Archived February 23, 2007, at the Wayback Machine Viking Mission to Mars (NASA SP-334) Archived August 7, 2013, at the Wayback Machine Solar Views Project Viking Fact Sheet Viking Mission to Mars Archived July 16, 2011, at the Wayback Machine Video A diagram of the Viking and its flight profile Article at Smithsonian Air and Space Website The Viking Mars Missions Education & Preservation Project (VMMEPP) VMMEPP Online exhibit 45 years ago: Viking 1 Touches Down on Mars