# Canonical recap data for Viking 1 Mars Landing (1976)
# Source: https://recap.at/1976/viking-1-mars-landing
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: viking-1-mars-landing
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/1976/viking-1-mars-landing"
title: Viking 1 Mars Landing
subtitle: Viking 1 became the first spacecraft to successfully land on Mars and transmit images, fundamentally changing planetary science.
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 1976-01-01
datePrecision: year
year: 1976
decade: 1970
country:
name: United States
slug: united-states
summaryShort: "The Viking program consisted of a pair of identical American space probes, Viking 1 and Viking 2 both launched in 1975, and landed on Mars in 1976. The mission effort began in 1968 and was managed by the NASA Langley Research Center. Each spacecraft was composed of two main parts: an orbiter spacecraft which photograph"
summaryLong: "The Viking program consisted of a pair of identical American space probes, Viking 1 and Viking 2 both launched in 1975, and landed on Mars in 1976. The mission effort began in 1968 and was managed by the NASA Langley Research Center. Each spacecraft was composed of two main parts: an orbiter spacecraft which photographed the surface of Mars from orbit, and a lander which studied the planet from the surface. The orbiters also served as communication relays for the landers once they touched down."
heroImageUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/19/Viking_Orbiter_releasing_the_lander.jpg/1280px-Viking_Orbiter_releasing_the_lander.jpg"
heroImageCredit: Wikipedia · "Viking program"
importance: 81
sourceConfidence: 75
keyFacts: []
timeline: []
sources:
- url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viking_program"
  title: Viking mars
  provider: Wikipedia
related: []
categories:
- tech-launch
metaDescription: "The Viking program consisted of a pair of identical American space probes, Viking 1 and Viking 2 both launched in 1975, and landed on Mars in 1976. The mission "
wikidataQid: Q233708
archiveSnapshots:
- url: "https://web.archive.org/web/20260624013803/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viking_program"
  capturedAt: 2026-06-24
  label: Viking mars
  originalUrl: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viking_program"
