This image shows one of the two identical Viking spacecraft at the Eastern Test Range of Kennedy Space Center in July 1975. The two orbiters and two landers were delivered separately, attached, tested, and covered with a Centaur nose fairing or shroud. The lander was encapsulated in both a bioshield and an aeroshield, which can be seen above the roughly octagonal orbiter bus, black high gain antenna, solar panels folded for launch, and the covered fuel and oxidizer tanks.

JPL was responsible for developing and building the orbiters, providing the Mission Control and Computing Center, and for tracking and data acquisition using the Deep Space Network. The landers were developed and built by Martin-Marietta Corporation under contract to Langley Research Center, which had overall project management responsibility. Lewis Research Center was responsible for the launch vehicle, which consisted of three Titan stages and an upper Centaur stage. The Viking 1 spacecraft was launched on August 20, 1975 and Viking 2 was launched a few weeks later, on September 9. They reached Mars in June and August, 1976.

For more information about Viking and the history of JPL, contact the JPL Archives.

_______________