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Viking to Mars - Profile of a space expeditionThe Viking spacecraft, operations, and findings are reviewed and numerous pictures are presented in an attempt to capture the atmosphere of the Viking expedition. The details of the two Viking spacecraft, each consisting of an orbiter and lander combination launched a Titan III/Centaur are described and illustrated, along with the Viking ground-data and communications system. The principal conclusions of the Viking mission to date are: detection of nitrogen, argon, krypton, and xenon; determination of isotopic ratios of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and argon; uniform diurnal meteorological conditions; determination of major elemental abundances; complex surface chemistry; no ubiquitous organic material; 4 to 7% of the sampled surface material is magnetic; discovery of ancient extensive fluvial activity; north permanent polar cap made of water ice; and significant variations of the atmospheric water vapor, the summer hemisphere being much more humid than the winter hemisphere.
Document ID
19770028697
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Martin, J. S., Jr.
(NASA Langley Research Center Hampton, VA, United States)
Young, A. T.
(NASA Langley Research Center Hampton, Va., United States)
Date Acquired
August 8, 2013
Publication Date
November 1, 1976
Publication Information
Publication: Astronautics and Aeronautics
Volume: 14
Subject Category
Lunar And Planetary Exploration
Accession Number
77A11549
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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