Viking 2:
Overview
The Viking
Mars mission was
performed by two spacecraft,
Viking 1 and Viking 2,
launched within a couple of weeks of each other. Each spacecraft consisted of an orbiter
and a lander, which traveled attached together for nearly a year to reach Mars orbit. The
orbiters then began taking pictures of the Martian surface, from which a landing site was
selected. The landers then separated from the orbiters and soft landed. The orbiters
continued imaging and, between Viking 1 and Viking 2, imaged the entire planet at what
was then high resolution. The orbiters also conducted atmospheric water vapor
measurements and infrared thermal mapping. The Viking 2 orbiter flew within 22
kilometers of
Deimos and took
high-resolution pictures of this smaller of the two moons of Mars. Unlike the Viking 1
orbiter, the orbit of Viking 2 was inclined well above the equator so that it could better
study the polar regions. The Viking landers took full 360-degree pictures, collected and
analyzed samples of the Martian soil, and monitored the temperature, wind direction, and
wind speed. The Viking missions revealed further details of volcanoes, lava plains, huge
canyons, and the effects of wind and water. Analysis of the soils at the landing sites
showed them to be rich in iron, but devoid of any signs of life.
Visit the Viking 2 Website
