September 3, 2021
Today in 1976, NASA’s Viking 2 lander successfully landed on the surface of Mars. From its high-inclination orbit, the Viking 2 orbiter was able to closely observe complex Martian polar regions. The Viking 2 mission was launched via a Titan-Centaur rocket in September 1975, and the orbiter was used until July 1978 to capture about 16,000 images of Mars and its satellites.
NASA’s Viking 2 lander on the surface of Mars. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech