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Viking Mission Resources

Below are a variety of materials relating to the Viking 1 and 2 missions. Please use the menu at right to jump directly to the section you seek.

Viking Images of Mars

Video: Viking Mission to Mars

Images of the Viking Spacecraft

Video from Viking's 35th Anniversary

Do Mars Science

Art from the 40th Anniversary

Viking Images of Mars

Scroll through to see some of the incredible imagery from the Viking landers and orbiters at Mars. Click on the “See More” link to view the image, read more about it, and download.

This is the first photograph ever taken on the surface of the planet Mars. It was obtained by NASA's Viking 1 just minutes after the spacecraft landed successfully July 20, 1976.

First Photo

This is the first photograph ever taken on the surface of the planet Mars. It was obtained by Viking 1 just minutes after the spacecraft landed successfully on July 20, 1976.

This color picture of Mars was taken July 21, 1997, the day following NASA's Viking l successfully landed on the red planet.

First Color Image

This color picture of Mars was taken July 21, 1976, the day following Viking 1's successful landing on the planet.

NASA's Viking 2's first picture on the surface of Mars was taken within minutes after the spacecraft touched down on Sept. 3, 1976. The scene reveals a wide variety of rocks littering a surface of fine-grained deposit.

Viking 2’s First Image

Viking 2's first picture on the surface of Mars after the spacecraft touched down on Sept. 3, 1976.

First panoramic view by NASA's Viking 1 from the surface of Mars taken in 1976. Toward the right edge is an array of smooth fine-grained material which shows some hint of ripple structure and may be the beginning of a large dune field.

First Panorama

Viking 1 lander produced the first panorama image from Mars's surface .

The flag of the United States with the rocky Martian surface in the background is seen in this color picture taken on the sixth day of NASA's Viking Lander 1 on Mars on July 26, 1997.

First U.S. Flag at Mars

The flag of the United States with the rocky Martian surface in the background is seen in this color picture taken by Viking 1 on July 26, 1976.

The boulder-strewn field of red rocks reaches to the horizon nearly two miles from NASA's Viking 2 on Mars' Utopian Plain.

The View from Viking 2

The boulder-strewn field of red rocks reaches to the horizon nearly two miles from Viking 2 on Mars' Utopian Plain.

A Martian sunrise was captured in this image taken by NASA's Viking 2 Lander on June 14, 1978, at the spacecraft's Utopia Planitia landing site.

Sunrise on Mars

A Martian sunrise was captured in this Viking 2 lander picture taken June 14, 1978.

This color image of the Martian surface in the Chryse area was taken by NASA's Viking Lander 1, looking southwest, about 15 minutes before sunset on the evening of August 21, 1997.

Sunset on Mars

This Viking 1 image is one of first images of a sunset as seen on the surface of Mars on Aug. 21, 1976.

Operation of the surface sampler in obtaining Martian soil for NASA's Viking 2's molecular analysis experiment. Dubbed 'Bonneville Salt Flats,' the exposure of thin crust appeared unique in contrast with surrounding materials.

Sampling the Surface

Operation of the surface sampler in obtaining Martian soil for NASA's Viking 2 molecular analysis experiment.

Those Martian weather reports, received here daily from more than 200 million miles away, start right here at NASA's Viking 1's meteorology instrument. Mounted atop the extended boom, the meteorology sensors face away from the spacecraft.

Mars Weather Reports

The Martian weather reports started at Viking 1's meteorology instrument, mounted atop the extended boom.

This mosaic of Mars is a compilation of images captured by NASA's Viking Orbiter 1. The center of the scene shows the entire Valles Marineris canyon system, over 3,000 km long and up to 8 km deep, extending from Noctis Labyrinthus.

Mars from Orbit

This compilation of images captured by the Viking 1 orbiter prominently features the Valles Marineris canyon system.

Shown here is a digital mosaic of Olympus Mons, the largest known volcano in the Solar System, as seen by NASA's Viking Orbiter 1. Much of the plains surrounding the volcano are covered by the ridged and grooved 'aureole' of Olympus Mons.

Mars Volcano

Shown here is a digital mosaic of Olympus Mons, the largest known volcano in the solar system, taken by the Viking 1 orbiter.

The north polar cap is visible in this projection at the top of the image from NASA's Viking Orbiter 1, the great equatorial canyon system (Valles Marineris) below center, and four huge Tharsis volcanoes (and several smaller ones) at left.

Global Color Image

About 1,000 red-violet filter images from the Viking orbiters were combined to produce this full-color image of Mars.

Featured Video

Viking Mission to Mars

Retro-style video features animation of one of NASA’s Viking spacecraft en route to Mars and landing there in 1976. Video includes actual footage of NASA mission control for Viking, and the Deep Space Network in California’s Mojave Desert, which communicates with spacecraft.

Learn More and Download

Viking@50 Downloads

The lander that broke ground on 50 years of Mars surface exploration. Celebrate Viking — and the missions still building on what it began — with posters, computer backdrops, phone screens and more.

Bring Viking Home — Posters and More

Throughout history, Mars had been in sight, but never within reach — until July 20, 1976, when NASA’s Viking 1 lander touched down safely and began transmitting the first images from the surface of the Red Planet.

NASA/JPL-Caltech

See the Rest of This Series

Learn about other Martian milestones.

A stylistic view of a Mars rovers is superimposed over the number 20. The poster says "Curiosity: 0th Anniversary.""

Curiosity

10 Years of Martian Mountain Climbing

Download Curiosity

This poster shows a blue-orange gradient background overlayed with a path of all 72 ngenuity's flights.

Ingenuity

72 Pathbreaking Flights

Download Ingenuity

A stylistic view of a two rovers is superimposed over the number 20. The poster says "Trailblazers: Spirt and Opportunity 20th Anniversary.""

Trailblazers

Spirit & Opportunity 20th Anniversary

Download Spirit & Opportunity

A stylistic view of a spacecraft in space is superimposed over the number 10. The poster says "MAVEN: Celebrating 10 years in Orbit at Mars"

MAVEN

Celebrating 10 years in orbit at Mars

Images of the Viking Spacecraft

Scroll through to see some of the photos, artist’s concepts, models, and other images of the Viking landers and orbiters. Click on the “See More” link to view the whole image, read more about it, and download originals.

Viking on Mars

Artist’s concept of a Viking lander on the surface of Mars.

NASA's Viking Project found a place in history when it became the first U.S. mission to land a spacecraft successfully on the surface of Mars.

Viking Lander Model

A model of the Viking landers that arrived on Mars in 1976.

Viking spacecraft

Viking Spacecraft

Artist’s concept of the Viking spacecraft, with the orbiter at the top and the lander tucked inside the aeroshell below.

Lander Model

An early model of the lander used for the Viking 1 and 2 missions to Mars.

Landing on Mars

An artist's concept of the sequence of events leading to the Viking landers reaching the Martian surface.

Line drawing of Viking Orbiter

Viking Orbiter

Line drawing of the Viking orbiter and its labeled components.

Viking Lander Line Drawing

Viking Lander

Labeled line drawing of the Viking lander.

Viking Orbiter Imaging System with components labeled: Infrared Thermal Mapper, TV A, TV B, and Mars Atmospheric Water Detector

Orbiter Imaging

Viking's orbiter imaging systems helped find safe spots for the landers to come down and later went on to map the surface and study Mars' atmosphere.

Rocket Building

A section of the Centaur Standard Shroud being transported to the B-3 test stand.

Rocket Prep

The Centaur III/Titan third stage being mated with its rocket in preparation for the Viking launch.

Inspecting the Lander

Technicians inspect the Viking 2 lander at NASA's Kennedy Space Center.

Preparing the Aeroshell

Technicians preparing the aeroshell cover that will protect the Viking 1 lander as it traverses Mars's atmosphere.

Lander and Orbiter Prep

One of the Viking landers and orbiters at NASA's Kennedy Space Center Spacecraft Assembly and Encapsulation Facility.

Mated

Closeup view of a mated Viking lander and orbiter.

Encapsulation

Viking 1's mated orbiter and lander are encapsulated in the Centaur shroud.

Ready to Launch

Encapsulated Viking 1 atop the Titan III/Centaur ready for launch on Aug. 20, 1975.

Liftoff

The Titan III/Centaur carrying Viking 1 lifts off as it begins its journey to Mars.

Featured Video

Viking, Mars Trailblazer

Thirty-five years after NASA's Viking missions launched, the team looked back at this extraordinary and “gutsy” mission.

Read More and Download

Viking and Mars Downloadables

Scroll through for posters, graphics, activities, 3D files, and other downloadables from the Viking mission and Mars.

Mars Poster

A mosaic of the Valles Marineris hemisphere of Mars, created with images from NASA's Viking orbiters.

thumbnail image of first page of Mars planet mask activity

Make a Mars Mask

Download and assemble your own Mars (or other planet) face mask.

Coloring page for Viking.

Viking Coloring Page

Download and color NASA's Viking lander and other spacecraft and planets in our solar system.

Mission to Mars: Scavenger Hunt

A guided quest to discover information about Mars using NASA's Space Place for Kids web site.

3D Viking Lander

Download a 3D printable file of the Viking lander.

3D Viking Lander

Download a slightly different 3D printable Viking lander file.

40th Anniversary Medallion

Commemorative 3D medallion from the Viking landing's 40th anniversary.

Do Mars science

Cloudspotting on Mars

Examine NASA data and images to help scientists find and catalog shapes in the Martian clouds in this Citizen Science Project.

Image is an artist's conception of wispy clouds over the cratered surface of the Red Planet, with the starry background of space behind Mars. The planet fills the bottom-right 2/3 of the image. We see its red horizon arcing from mid-left to top right. From our perspective well above the planet, the wispy blue rendering of clouds appears below the horizon, so we are looking down on the cloud, which arches from left to right like a blue feather. The word “SHAPES” appears in irregular letters across the blue cloud.

Art from Viking’s 40th Anniversary

Scroll through to see artwork created for the 40th anniversary of the Viking mission landing.

Retro Viking

Mars Superstar

Lander Silhouette

First Soil Sample on Another Planet

American Flag

Orbiter and Lander

Spirit of '76 Bicentennial

Mars [Then-] Past, Present, Future

40th Anniversary Medallion

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