Early Spacecraft Exploration Viking
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Early Spacecraft Exploration Viking “The scientific goal of the Viking missions is to ‘increase our knowledge of the planet Mars with an emphasis on the search for extra-terrestrial life.’ The scientific questions deal with the atmosphere, the surface, the planetary body, and the question of bio-organic evolution.” Viking Press Kit, July 1975
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Early Spacecraft ExplorationViking
“The scientific goal of the Viking missions is to ‘increase our knowledge of the planet Mars with an emphasis on the search for extra-terrestrial life.’ The scientific questions deal with the atmosphere, the surface, the planetary body, and the question of bio-organic evolution.”
Viking Press Kit, July 1975
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Get down and get dirty.
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The primary mission objectives were to: Obtain high resolution images of the Martian surface Characterize the structure and composition of the
atmosphere and surface and Search for evidence of life
Twin orbiter/lander combo
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Orbiter instruments Visual Imaging Subsystem – two cameras (124 ft/px); could
resolve objects the size of a football field IR Thermal (temperature) Mapper Mars Atmospheric Water Detector “Again a question: Are we now seeing the last disappearing
remnants of water that was once much more plentiful on the planet, or is Mars locked in an ice age that has frozen out most of its water in the polar caps or beneath a layer of surface dust?”
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Lander instruments Two panoramic cameras Sampler arm Meteorology boom w/ temperature, wind direction and
velocity sensors Seismometer Biology experiment Gas chromatograph mass spectrometer X-ray fluorescence spectrometer More info on each instrument can be found at:
http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19750018961_1975018961.pdf
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V1 Launched August 20, 1975; arrived at Mars June 19, 1976
Devoted first month to searching for landing sites for the lander; V1 lander touched down July 20, 1976 in Chryse Planitia
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V2 launched September 9, 1975, arrived at Mars on August 7, 1976
First month devoted to searching for a landing site; V2 touched down September 3, 1976 in Utopia Planitia
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Landing Site Locations
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With landers on the ground, orbiters continued science mission above and acted as data relays for landers
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DATA!!
Early Spacecraft ExplorationViking• How would you rate the quality of these images?• What observations can you make?• How would you interpret these observations?• What can you say we know about Mars at this
point? How certain are you?• What questions would you ask about Mars?• How would you attempt to answer these questions?• What are the limitations to this type of mission
(spacecraft/instruments)?
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Sinuous canyon in Nanedi Vallis
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Large outflow channel originating at chaotic terrain.
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Stream-lined Islands in Ares Vallis
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Dendritic Drainage Network
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Channel in Ares Vallis; 25km (~16 miles) wide, 1km (~0.6 miles) deep
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Ma'adim Vallis (~300km; ~186 miles) runs north and terminates into Gusev Crater (right).
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Viking 2 lander touched down with one pad on a boulder; tilted 8°.
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Notable results from Viking orbiters:Mapped 97% of the surface; 52,000 total imagesDefinitively determined the North residual polar cap is
water-ice, not frozen carbon dioxideStirred up a little “controversy” with one particular image
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Notable results from Viking landers: Biology experiments provided no clear evidence for the presence of
living organisms in soil near the landing sites Gas Chromatograph/Mass Spectrometer found no evidence of
organic material at either landing site Winds blew more slowly than anticipated (200 MPH); highest
recorded wind gust was 120 km/hr (74 mph) and average velocities were much lower
Weather in the Martian midsummer was repetitious but was variable and more interesting in other seasons
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Notable results from Viking landers: Atmospheric composition: CO2: 95.32%
N: 2.7% Ar: 1.6% O: 0.13 CO: 0.7% H2O (vapor): 0.03%
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How did Viking advance scientific understanding of Mars? Difficult for life to exist on the surface at present, but this does not rule out
past life More evidence for past habitability Weather patterns Though no current life, Mars is a dynamic planet
What technological advance(s) did Viking carry? LANDER!! Higher res. Cameras Weather station Biology experiments Orbiters acted as communications relay, selective landing sites
