| .....NASA's Viking Mission to
Mars was composed of two spacecraft,
Viking 1 and Viking 2. Each spacecraft
consisted of an orbiter and a lander. 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. .....Viking 1 was
launched on August 20, 1975 and arrived
at Mars on June 19, 1976. The first month
of orbit was devoted to imaging the
surface to find appropriate landing sites
for the Viking Landers. On July 20, 1976
Viking Lander 1 separated from the
Orbiter and touched down at Chryse
Planitia. Viking 2 was launched September
9, 1975 and entered Mars orbit on August
7, 1976. Viking Lander 2 touched down at
Utopia Planitia on September 3, 1976. The
Orbiters imaged the entire surface of
Mars at a resolution of 150 to 300
meters, and selected areas at 8 meters.
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