SOLAR SYSTEM

Detailed explanation-1: -The first spacecraft to successfully land on Mars, Viking 1 was part of a two-part mission to investigate the Red Planet and search for signs of life. Viking 1 consisted of both an orbiter and a lander designed to take high-resolution images, and study the Martian surface and atmosphere.

Detailed explanation-2: -Viking 1 launched on August 20, 1975. It arrived in Mars orbit on June 19, 1976 and the lander touched down on July 20, 1976. Viking 2 launched less than a month after Viking 1 on September 9, 1975. The spacecraft arrived in orbit on August 7, 1976 and the lander touched down on September 3.

Detailed explanation-3: -About the mission Viking 2 landed on Mars in September 1976–immediately following the first successful spacecraft landing on Mars by Viking 1–and was part of NASA’s early two-part mission to investigate the Red Planet and search for signs of life.

Detailed explanation-4: -(Phys.org)-In 1976, two Viking landers became the first US spacecraft from Earth to touch down on Mars. They took the first high-resolution images of the planet, surveyed the planet’s geographical features, and analyzed the geological composition of the atmosphere and surface.