Viking 2

Viking 2
Viking Orbiter
Mission typeMars Orbiter/lander
OperatorNASA
COSPAR ID
SATCAT no.
  • Orbiter: 8199
  • Lander: 9408
WebsiteViking Project Information
Mission durationOrbiter: 1050 days  (1022 sol)[1]
Lander: 1316 days  (1281 sol)[1]
Launch to last contact: 1,676 days
Spacecraft properties
ManufacturerOrbiter: JPL
Lander: Martin Marietta
Launch mass3,530 kg[a]
Dry massOrbiter: 883 kg (1,947 lb)
Lander: 572 kg (1,261 lb)[2]
PowerOrbiter: 620 W
Lander: 70 W
Start of mission
Launch date18:39, September 9, 1975 (UTC) (1975-09-09T18:39Z)[1][3]
RocketTitan IIIE
Launch siteCape Canaveral LC-41
ContractorMartin Marietta
End of mission
Last contactApril 12, 1980 (1980-04-12)[4]
Orbital parameters
Reference systemAreocentric
Eccentricity0.81630
Periareion altitude300 km (190 mi)
Apoareion altitude33,176 km (20,615 mi)
Inclination80.5°
Period24.08 hours
EpochJuly 24, 1980
Mars orbiter
Spacecraft componentViking 2 Orbiter
Orbital insertionAugust 7, 1976[1][3]
Mars lander
Spacecraft componentViking 2 Lander
Landing dateSeptember 3, 1976
22:37:50 UTC (MSD 36500 00:13 AMT)[1]
Landing site47°38′N 225°43′W / 47.64°N 225.71°W / 47.64; -225.71 (Viking 2 lander)[1]
Large Strategic Science Missions
Planetary Science Division

The Viking 2 mission was part of the American Viking program to Mars, and consisted of an orbiter and a lander essentially identical to that of the Viking 1 mission.[1] Viking 2 was operational on Mars for 1281 sols (1,316 days; 3 years, 221 days). The Viking 2 lander operated on the surface for 1,316 days, or 1281 sols, and was turned off on April 12, 1980, when its batteries failed. The orbiter worked until July 25, 1978,[1] returning almost 16,000 images in 706 orbits around Mars.[5]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Williams, David R. (December 18, 2006). "Viking Mission to Mars". NASA. Retrieved February 2, 2014.
  2. ^ a b "Viking 2 Lander". National Space Science Data Center.
  3. ^ a b Nelson, Jon. "Viking 2". NASA. Retrieved February 2, 2014.
  4. ^ NASA.gov
  5. ^ "Viking 2 Orbiter". National Space Science Data Center. Retrieved August 16, 2019.


Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).


Developed by StudentB