Early Spacecraft Exploration Viking

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Early Spacecraft ExplorationViking

• The scientific goal of the Viking missions is to
  increase our knowledge of the planet Mars with
  an emphasis on the search for extra-terrestrial
  life. The scientific questions deal with the
  atmosphere, the surface, the planetary body, and
  the question of bio-organic evolution.

Viking Press Kit, July 1975
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Early Spacecraft ExplorationViking
Get down and get dirty.
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Early Spacecraft ExplorationViking

• 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

Twin orbiter/lander combo
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• Orbiter instruments
• Visual Imaging Subsystem two cameras (124
  ft/px) could resolve objects the size of a
  football field
• IR Thermal (temperature) Mapper
• Mars Atmospheric Water Detector
• Again a question Are we now seeing the last
  disappearing remnants of water that was once much
  more plentiful on the planet, or is Mars locked
  in an ice age that has frozen out most of its
  water in the polar caps or beneath a layer of
  surface dust?

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• Lander instruments
• Two panoramic cameras
• Sampler arm
• Meteorology boom w/ temperature, wind direction
  and velocity sensors
• Seismometer
• Biology experiment
• Gas chromatograph mass spectrometer
• X-ray fluorescence spectrometer
• More info on each instrument can be found at
  http//ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.g
  ov/19750018961_1975018961.pdf

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Early Spacecraft ExplorationViking

• V1 Launched August 20, 1975 arrived at Mars June
  19, 1976
• Devoted first month to searching for landing
  sites for the lander V1 lander touched down July
  20, 1976 in Chryse Planitia

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Early Spacecraft ExplorationViking

• V2 launched September 9, 1975, arrived at Mars on
  August 7, 1976
• First month devoted to searching for a landing
  site V2 touched down September 3, 1976 in Utopia
  Planitia

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Early Spacecraft ExplorationViking

• Landing Site Locations

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• With landers on the ground, orbiters continued
  science mission above and acted as data relays
  for landers

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• DATA!!

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Early Spacecraft Exploration Viking

• How would you rate the quality of these images?
• What observations can you make?
• How would you interpret these observations?
• What can you say we know about Mars at this
  point? How certain are you?
• What questions would you ask about Mars?
• How would you attempt to answer these questions?
• What are the limitations to this type of mission
  (spacecraft/instruments)?

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Sinuous canyon in Nanedi Vallis
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Large outflow channel originating at chaotic
terrain.
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Stream-lined Islands in Ares Vallis
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Dendritic Drainage Network
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Channel in Ares Vallis 25km (16 miles) wide,
1km (0.6 miles) deep
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Early Spacecraft ExplorationViking
Ma'adim Vallis (300km 186 miles) runs north
and terminates into Gusev Crater (right).
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Viking 2 lander touched down with one pad on a
boulder tilted 8.
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Early Spacecraft ExplorationViking

• Notable results from Viking orbiters
• Mapped 97 of the surface 52,000 total images
• Definitively determined the North residual polar
  cap is water-ice, not frozen carbon dioxide
• Stirred up a little controversy with one
  particular image

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Early Spacecraft ExplorationViking

• Notable results from Viking landers
• Biology experiments provided no clear evidence
  for the presence of living organisms in soil near
  the landing sites
• Gas Chromatograph/Mass Spectrometer found no
  evidence of organic material at either landing
  site
• Winds blew more slowly than anticipated (200
  MPH) highest recorded wind gust was 120 km/hr
  (74 mph) and average velocities were much lower
• Weather in the Martian midsummer was repetitious
  but was variable and more interesting in other
  seasons

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Early Spacecraft ExplorationViking

• Notable results from Viking landers
• Atmospheric composition
• CO2 95.32
• N 2.7
• Ar 1.6
• O 0.13
• CO 0.7
• H2O (vapor) 0.03

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Early Spacecraft ExplorationViking

• How did Viking advance scientific understanding
  of Mars?
• Difficult for life to exist on the surface at
  present, but this does not rule out past life
• More evidence for past habitability
• Weather patterns
• Though no current life, Mars is a dynamic planet
• What technological advance(s) did Viking carry?
• LANDER!!
• Higher res. Cameras
• Weather station
• Biology experiments
• Orbiters acted as communications relay, selective
  landing sites