#viking 1

[themanwhoateastronomy]

so we all know about the patron saint of one-way trips

but how about:

the patron saints of last messages and quiet goodbyes

the patron saint of overstaying your welcome

the patron saint of being small, afraid, and doing it anyway

the patron saint of first steps you can never take back

the patron saint of flying for the ones who couldn't

the patron saints of asking "are we alone?" and only hearing your echo

[spaceexp]

A Titan-Centaur rocket carrying the Viking 1 spacecraft launches from Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on Aug. 20, 1975. Viking 1 touched down on the red planet on July 20, 1976, becoming the first truly successful landing on Mars. Viking 1 was the first of a pair of complex deep space probes that were designed to reach Mars and to collect evidence on the possibility on life on Mars.

[krakenmare]

Viking 1: First Panoramic View From The Surface Of Mars (July 20, 1976)

[todayspace]

Image description: two photos of a singular replica of a triangular shaped satellite, one from directly below showing its thruster and one from the front. In the latter picture, the US flag is visible above a star made up of red, white, and blue stripes. Around the star in black print is the words: "American Revolution Bicentennial 1776-1976".

The Viking program was a pair of indentical NASA space probes creatively named Viking 1 and Viking 2. The probes each consisted of an orbiter and lander. They were both launched in the same year (1975), and landed on Mars in 1976.

As part of the celebrations of 1976 being 200 years since the start of the American Revolution and the Viking missions being a wholly US mission, the orbiter bore a design honoring that fact.

This is a replica as the orbiters remained at Mars, though they are not necessarily still in orbit around the red planet.

[cosmicretreat]

Viking 1 was launched 50 years ago today!

[lonestarflight]

Concept art of the assembly of Viking orbiter/lander in orbit using two Space Shuttles (NAR-130-J configuration).

Date: December 1972

Drew Granston's Collection

NASA ID: S70-6004-X, 70-H-1660

[toasters-and-rockets]

It’s been forever and a day, but I drew Viking 1 again. I still love this guy and his three minutes of screen time in Goes to Mars. Who knows, I may even write another story about him. Like I said, it’s been forever.

[science70]

Model of the Viking 1 lander, 1975.