Historical Photo of the Month - August 2005

Viking Stack Test
Photograph Number 354-1363Ac

On August 20, JPL celebrates the 30th anniversary of the launch of Viking 1, one of two identical spacecraft that traveled to Mars in 1975. The second Viking spacecraft was launched on September 9. Each spacecraft consisted of an orbiter and a lander. After entering Mars orbit, the landers separated from the orbiters and soft-landed on the surface. The Orbiters imaged the entire surface of Mars while the landers transmitted images of the surface, took surface samples and analyzed them for composition and signs of life, studied atmospheric composition and meteorology, and deployed seismometers.

JPL developed and built the orbiters while the landers were developed and built by Martin-Marietta Corporation, under contract to Langley Research Center. In this photograph, the Viking Orbiter Dynamic Test Model (ODTM) and Lander Dynamic Test Model (LDTM) are shown in a "stacked" formation, undergoing a Z-axis sine vibration test on November 5, 1973. The lander is enclosed in the white shell and the orbiter is below it. The test was used to simulate the stress of launch.

For information about Viking, read the Viking Fact Sheet. To obtain more detailed records about Viking and the history of JPL, contact the JPL Archives.

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