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Viking ProjectNASA's Viking project was a two-part mission that sent spacecraft to Mars to map its surface, collect atmospheric data, and search for signs of life.
Named after the Norse explorers, the identical Viking 1 and 2 spacecraft launched in 1975. Each consisted of a lander with scientific instruments and an orbiter with high-resolution cameras and communication relays to transmit data.
The landers were the first in history to transmit data from the Martian surface, including results from life-detection experiments conducted on samples of Martian soil, which provided no definitive evidence of life.
The orbiters mapped 97% of the planet, directly observing volcanoes, lava plains, and geological features like river valley networks and canyons. These features—created from rainfall and flooding on Earth—indicated the presence of significant surface water in Mars' past.Explore Viking Project
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View an interactive collection of historical documents from the Viking projectThis collection includes original mission bulletins, engineering and planning documents, and interview segments from more than 80 Viking team members who made the historic exploration of Mars’ surface by a lander possible. Google Arts & CultureNorse Yule solstice rituals inspired many modern Christmas decorationsScandinavian Vikings celebrated Yule during the winter solstice, burning massive, decorated logs to protect their homes and ensure good harvests, while hoping for the sun's return. The festival included evergreens, mistletoe, holly, and ivy. Jereme ZimmermanSupersonic parachutes have allowed rovers to safely land on Mars' surfaceThe disk-band-gap parachute design was first developed for the Viking Project in the 1970s. Since then, it has been reinforced and uses stronger materials to handle larger payloads—including the 2020 Perseverance rover—landing it a world record. Guinness World RecordsThe Viking landers were the first spacecraft to conduct experiments on MarsNASA’s Viking 1 and 2 missions tested soils for signs of life, captured images, and studied the Martian atmosphere, revealing evidence of ancient water flow, volcanic soil, and a thin carbon dioxide atmosphere. NASA