What was the first U.S. spacecraft to land on Mars?
Viking 1 – check out a photo it took just minutes after landing. This was the first photo ever taken on the surface of Mars.
Forty years ago this week, this first spacecraft of NASA’s Viking Mission arrived at Mars. Viking 1 arrived at Mars on June 19, 1976.
The second spacecraft of this mission, Viking 2, arrived two months later. Each spacecraft consisted of an orbiter and lander. The lander would separate after entering Mars orbit.
For a month after arriving, Viking Orbiter 1 looked for the landers’ landing sites through its surface imaging instruments. After landing, each lander conducted biology experiments, collected science data and took photos.
The landers discovered unexpected chemical activity in the soil but no clear evidence pointing toward living microorganisms. The physical and magnetic soil properties were measured. Landers analyzed the atmosphere and found trace elements that were not previously detected. While in the process of landing, Viking measured the composition of the upper atmosphere as well as its physical properties.
Each orbiter and lander far outlived the planned mission of 90 days, and Viking 1 was last heard from in 1982.
Missions to Mars aren’t just part of our history – they’re part of our future.
Check out what NASA is doing for the Journey to Mars at NASA.gov.