Martian Glory, Heartbreak, and Hope for the Future

Abstract

Viking was a two-part spacecraft. Like the 1971 Soviet Mars explorers, Viking consisted of an autonomous orbiter and a detachable lander. But unlike the Soviet craft, Viking would carry its lander into Martian orbit before dispatching it to the surface. The success of the first American Mars landing depended on Viking scouting out its own landing site through high-resolution reconnaissance.