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Martian Dune Field
PIA00393
Sol (our sun)
Camera 1
Title Martian Dune Field
Original Caption Released with Image This spectacular picture of the Martian landscape by the Viking 1 Lander shows a dune field with features remarkably similar to many seen in the deserts of Earth. The dramatic early morning lighting - 7:30 a.m. local Mars time--reveals subtle details and shading. Taken yesterday (August 3) by the Lander s camera #1, the picture covers 100 , looking northeast at left and southeast at right. Viking scientists have studied areas very much like the one in this view in Mexico and in California (Kelso, Death Valley, Yuma). The sharp dune crests indicate the most recent wind storms capable of moving sand over the dunes in the general direction from upper left to lower right. Small deposits downwind of rocks also indicate this wind direction. Large boulder at left is about eight meters (25 feet) from the spacecraft and measures about one by three meters (3 by 10 feet). The meteorology boom, which supports Viking s miniature weather station, cuts through the picture s center. The sun rose two hours earlier and is about 30 above the horizon near the center of the picture.
Earth-Mars planet comparison …
Title Earth-Mars planet comparisons (true color)
Abstract This is a visualization showing the relative size of Mars compared to that of Earth. This version uses true color textures (there are corresponding false color versions as well).
Completed 2003-12-18
25 Years Ago: Vikings on Mar …
Title 25 Years Ago: Vikings on Mars
Explanation On July 20, 1976 [ http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2001/ast20jul_1.htm ], NASA's Viking 1 lander became the first [ http://www.star.le.ac.uk/edu/solar/sovmars.html ] U.S. spacecraft to land on Mars [ http://cmex-www.arc.nasa.gov/ ], followed weeks later by its twin robot explorer, the Viking 2 lander. Operating [ http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/ PIAGenCatalogPage.pl?PIA00563 ] on the Martian surface [ http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/photo_gallery/ photogallery-mars.html#surface ] into the early 1980s, the Vikings took [ http://history.nasa.gov/SP-425/cover.htm ] thousands of pictures, conducted [ http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/viking.html ] sophisticated chemical searches for life [ http://history.nasa.gov/SP-4212/ch11-6.html ], and studied the martian weather [ http://www-k12.atmos.washington.edu/k12/resources/ mars_data-information/mars_overview.html ] and geology. In the dramatically detailed image above, a field of rocks and boulders is viewed from the Viking 1 landing site on Chryse Planitia (the Plain of Chryse). Viking 1's dusty foot pad is just visible at the lower right. The image was created [ http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/photo_gallery/caption/ vikinglander1-2.txt ] by combining high resolution black and white images with lower resolution color images of the same area. NASA is continuing its well chronicled [ http://history.nasa.gov/SP-4212/on-mars.html ] martian exploration program as the Mars Odyssey [ http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/odyssey/ ] spacecraft is scheduled to arrive at the mysterious [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap970528.html ] Red Planet on October 24th. What's Mars like today [ http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2001/ ast16jul_1.htm ]?
Vikers Viking Amphibian - bi …
Title Vikers Viking Amphibian - biplane
Description Vikers Viking Amphibian - biplane: Initially procured in 1921 by the U.S. Navy during their studies of foreign designs, the Vickers Viking IV became NACA 17 during its short period of study at Langley.
Date 08.21.1924
Mars landscape - Utopian pla …
Title Mars landscape - Utopian plain with Viking Lander 2
Description Caption: "This boulder strewn field reaches to the horizon, nearly 2 miles distant from Viking Lander 2's position on Mars' Utopian Plain." Scientists believe the colors of the Martian surface and sky in this photo represent their true colors. Fine particles of red dust have settled on spacecraft surfaces. The salmon color of the sky is caused by dust particles suspended in the atmosphere. Color calibration charts for the cameras are mounted at three locations on the spacecraft. Note the blue starfield and red stripes of the flag. The circular structure at top is the high-gain antenna, pointed toward Earth. Viking 2 landed September 3, 1976, some 4600 miles from its twin, Viking 1, which touched down on July 20. Photograph and caption published in Winds of Change, 75th Anniversary NASA publication (pages 107), by James Schultz.
Date 06.21.1976
Fly up to Sasquatch Crater v …
Title Fly up to Sasquatch Crater view one
Completed 1998-12-02
Polar Orbiter: Fly Up to the …
Title Polar Orbiter: Fly Up to the Primary Landing Site (Green)
Completed 1999-08-25
Hellas Crater Flat Flyover ( …
Title Hellas Crater Flat Flyover (True Color)
Completed 1999-05-24
Mars North Polar Fly In From …
Title Mars North Polar Fly In From Above And Tilt
Completed 1998-12-02
Fly up to Sasquatch Crater v …
Title Fly up to Sasquatch Crater view two
Completed 1998-12-02
High Slow Fly around Pole
Title High Slow Fly around Pole
Completed 1998-12-02
Fly up to Dunes- thought to …
Title Fly up to Dunes- thought to cover ice
Completed 1998-12-02
Mars: Fly Straight over Pole
Title Mars: Fly Straight over Pole
Completed 1998-12-02
Tharsis Rise (True Color)
Title Tharsis Rise (True Color)
Completed 1999-05-24
Dr. James C. Fletcher
Title Dr. James C. Fletcher
Full Description Dr. James C. Fletcher served as NASA Administrator from April 27, 1971, to May 1, 1977, and from May 12, 1986, to April 8, 1989. During his first administration at NASA, Dr. Fletcher was responsible for beginning the Shuttle effort, as well as the Viking program that sent landers to Mars. He oversaw the Skylab missions and Viking probes and approved the Voyager space probe, the Hubble Space Telescope and the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project. During his second tenure, he presided over the effort to recover from the Challenger accident. Dr. Fletcher died in December 1991 of lung cancer.
Date UNKNOWN
NASA Center Headquarters
Surface Changes in Chryse Pl …
PIA00532
Sol (our sun)
Camera 1
Title Surface Changes in Chryse Planitia
Original Caption Released with Image At the conclusion of the Viking Continuation Mission (May to November, 1978), all four cameras on the Viking Landers - two on each spacecraft - continued to function normally. During the two and one-half years since the landers touched down on Mars, images totaled 2,255 for Viking Lander 1 and 2,016 for Viking Lander 2. The surface around the landers was completely photographed by the end of 1976, subsequent images acquired during 1977-1978 have concentrated on searching for changes in the scene - changes which can be used to infer both the types of erosive processes which modify the landscape around the landers and the rates at which these processes may occur. The major surface changes have included the water-ice snow seen by Lander 2 during the winter at Utopia Planitia, and a thin dust layer deposited at both sites during the dust storms of 1977. The most recently identified change occurred at Chryse Planitia between VL-1 sols 767 (Sept. 16, 1978) and 771 (Sept. 20, 1978) as seen in the lower photo. Picture at top, selected to show similar lighting conditions, was taken during sol 25 (August 15, 1976). The change (A) appears as a small circle-like formation on the side of a drift in the lee, or downwind, side of Whale Rock. This is believed to have been a small-scale landslide of an unstable dust layer which had accumulated behind the rock. Interpretation of this feature would be difficult without an earlier change (B) near Big Joe, a slump which occurred between sols 74 and 183. The new slump is approximately 25- 35 meters from the lander, and just under a meter across. The slumping probably was initiated by the daily heating and cooling of the surface by solar radiation. More importantly, it is now believed that, based on the repeated occurrence of such slumping features, a dust layer which overlies the surface may in fact be redistributed fairly regularly during periods of high wind activity. There are no obvious indications of fossil slump features, therefore similar features must be destroyed on a regular basis. After the end of February, when Viking operations essentially terminate, Lander 1 will continue preselected observations over a period of possibly up to 10 years, following the instructions stored in its computer memory. Earth commands will be required only to initiate data transmission to Earth. During this time, it is now anticipated that one of the yearly planetwide global dust storms may reach an intensity necessary to shift the dust cover around the lander significantly.
Hubble Finds Cloudy, Cold We …
Title Hubble Finds Cloudy, Cold Weather Conditions for Mars-Bound Spacecraft
The Target
PIA04304
Sol (our sun)
Visual Imaging Subsystem - C …
Title The Target
Original Caption Released with Image This mosaic of Mars is a compilation of images captured by the Viking Orbiter 1. The center of the scene shows the entire Valles Marineris canyon system, over 3,000 km long and up to 8 km deep, extending from Noctis Labyrinthus, the arcuate system of graben to the west, to the chaotic terrain to the east.
Gusev Crater
PIA04274
Sol (our sun)
Visual Imaging Subsystem
Title Gusev Crater
Original Caption Released with Image Released April 11, 2003 The designated landing site for the first Mars Exploration Rover mission is Gusev Crater, seen here in its geological context from NASA Viking images. Details of the Gusev Crater designated landing site are added with topographic information and higher-resolution imaging from instruments on the Mars Global Surveyor and Mars Odyssey orbiters.
Meridiani Planum
PIA04275
Sol (our sun)
Visual Imaging Subsystem
Title Meridiani Planum
Original Caption Released with Image Released April 11, 2003 The designated landing site for the second Mars Exploration Rover mission is Meridiani Planum, seen here in its geological context from NASA Viking images Details of the Meridiani Planum designated landing site are added with topographic information and higher-resolution imaging from instruments on the Mars Global Surveyor and Mars Odyssey orbiters.
Photomosiac of Olympus Mons
PIA02984
Sol (our sun)
Title Photomosiac of Olympus Mons
Original Caption Released with Image Viking Orbiter 1 photomosaic of Olympus Mons summit caldera. The caldera comprises a series of craters formed by repeated collapses after eruptions.
Example of Weathering And Su …
PIA00386
Sol (our sun)
Camera 1
Title Example of Weathering And Sun Angle
Original Caption Released with Image The letter 'B' or perhaps the figure '8' appears to have been etched into the Mars rock at the left edge of this picture taken yesterday by the Viking 1 Lander. It is believed to be an illusion caused by weathering processes and the angle of the sun as it illuminated the scene for the spacecraft camera. The object at lower left is the housing containing the surface sampler scoop.
Magnetic Particles Are Found …
PIA00394
Sol (our sun)
Camera 2
Title Magnetic Particles Are Found In The Martian Atmosphere
Original Caption Released with Image The dark bullseye pattern seen at the top of Viking l's camera calibration chart indicates the presence of magnetic particles in the fine dust in the Martian atmosphere. A tiny magnet is mounted at that spot to catch wind-borne magnetic particles. The particles may have been tossed into the atmosphere surrounding the spacecraft at the time of landing and during the digging and delivery of the Mars soil sample by the surface sampler scoop. This picture was taken August 4.
Bright Summer Afternoon on t …
PIA00569
Sol (our sun)
Camera 2
Title Bright Summer Afternoon on the Mars Utopian Planitia
Original Caption Released with Image A UTOPIAN BRIGHT SUMMER AFTERNOON ON MARS--Looking south from Viking 2 on September 6, the orange-red surface of the nearly level plain upon which the spacecraft sits is seen strewn with rocks as large as three feet across. Many of these rocks are porous and sponge-like, similar to some of Earth's volcanic rocks. Other rocks are coarse-grained such as the large rock at lower left. Between the rocks, the surface is blanketed with fine-grained material that, in places, is piled into small drifts and banked against some of the larger blocks. The cylindrical mast with the orange cable is the low-gain antenna used to receive commands from Earth.
Geologic 'Face on Mars' Form …
PIA01141
Sol (our sun)
Visual Imaging Subsystem - C …
Title Geologic 'Face on Mars' Formation
Original Caption Released with Image NASA's Viking 1 Orbiter spacecraft photographed this region in the northern latitudes of Mars on July 25, 1976 while searching for a landing site for the Viking 2 Lander. The speckled appearance of the image is due to missing data, called bit errors, caused by problems in transmission of the photographic data from Mars to Earth. Bit errors comprise part of one of the 'eyes' and 'nostrils' on the eroded rock that resembles a human face near the center of the image. Shadows in the rock formation give the illusion of a nose and mouth. Planetary geologists attribute the origin of the formation to purely natural processes. The feature is 1.5 kilometers (one mile) across, with the sun angle at approximately 20 degrees. The picture was taken from a range of 1,873 kilometers (1,162 miles).
Frost at the Viking Lander 2 …
PIA00573
Sol (our sun)
Camera 2
Title Frost at the Viking Lander 2 Site
Original Caption Released with Image Photo from Viking Lander 2 shows late-winter frost on the ground on Mars around the lander. The view is southeast over the top of Lander 2, and shows patches of frost around dark rocks. The surface is reddish-brown, the dark rocks vary in size from 10 centimeters (four inches) to 76 centimeters (30 inches) in diameter. This picture was obtained Sept. 25, 1977. The frost deposits were detected for the first time 12 Martian days (sols) earlier in a black-and-white image. Color differences between the white frost and the reddish soil confirm that we are observing frost. The Lander Imaging Team is trying to determine if frost deposits routinely form due to cold night temperatures, then disappear during the warmer daytime. Preliminary analysis, however, indicates the frost was on the ground for some time and is disappearing over many days. That suggests to scientists that the frost is not frozen carbon dioxide (dry ice) but is more likely a carbon dioxide clathrate (six parts water to one part carbon dioxide). Detailed studies of the frost formation and disappearance, in conjunction with temperature measurements from the lander?s meteorology experiment, should be able to confirm or deny that hypothesis, scientists say.
Vivid Colors of the Viking L …
PIA00564
Sol (our sun)
Camera 1
Title Vivid Colors of the Viking Lander 1 Scene
Original Caption Released with Image Viking 1 obtained this color picture of the Martian surface and sky on July 24. Camera Number 1 facing southeast, captured part of the spacecraft's gray structure in the foreground. A bright orange cable leads to one of the descent rocket engines. Orange-red surface materials cover most of the surface, apparently forming a thin veneer over darker bedrock. A zone of large dark boulders is present in the far-field. The sky has a reddish cast, which is probably due to scattering and reflection from reddish sediment suspended in the lower atmosphere. This picture has been radiometrically calibrated, using information on camera performance acquired before launch. Although the colors are very vivid, the fidelity with which the bright orange cable is reproduced suggests that the intense colors of the Martian surface are, in fact, real.
Debris Kicked Up By Impact o …
PIA00384
Sol (our sun)
Camera 2
Title Debris Kicked Up By Impact of A Protective Cover from Viking Lander 1
Original Caption Released with Image The patch of dark material toward the top of this picture (arrow) taken by the Viking 1 Lander is the debris kicked up by the impact of a protective cover ejected from the spacecraft at 1 a.m. today. The cylindrical cover, which bounced out of view of the camera, protects the scoop at the end of the soil sampler arm. (The scoop will dig into the Martian surface for the first time on July 28). Dust and debris atop the footpad remains as it was seen in the Lander's first picture taken immediately after landing two days ago. No wind modification is apparent. On the surface, a variety of block sizes, shapes and tones are seen, and some rocks are Partially buried.
Sunset at the Viking Lander …
PIA00567
Sol (our sun)
Camera 2
Title Sunset at the Viking Lander 1 Site
Original Caption Released with Image This color image of the Martian surface in the Chryse area was taken by Viking Lander 1, looking southwest, about 15 minutes before sunset on the evening of August 21. The sun is at an elevation angle of 3 or 4 degrees above the horizon and about 50 degrees clockwise from the right edge of the frame. Local topographic features are accentuated by the low lighting angle. A depression is seen near the center of the picture, just above the Lander?s leg support structure, which was not evident in previous pictures taken at higher sun angles. Just beyond the depression are large rocks about 30 centimeters (1 foot) across. The diffuse shadows are due to the sunlight that has been scattered by the dusty Martian atmosphere as a result of the long path length from the setting sun. Toward the horizon, several bright patches of bare bedrock are revealed.
Ice On Mars
PIA00533
Sol (our sun)
Camera 2
Title Ice On Mars
Original Caption Released with Image ICE ON MARS AGAIN -- This high-resolution photo of the surface of Mars was taken by Viking Lander 2 at its Utopia Planitia landing site on May 18, 1979 and relayed to Earth by Viking Orbiter 1 on June 7. It shows a thin coating of water ice on the rocks and soil. The time the frost appeared corresponds almost exactly with the buildup of frost one Martian year (23 Earth months) ago. Then it remained on the surface for about 100 days. Scientists believe dust particles in the atmosphere pick up bits of solid water. That combination is not heavy enough to settle to the ground. But carbon dioxide, which makes up 95 percent of the Martian atmosphere, freezes and adheres to the particles and they become heavy enough to sink. Warmed by the Sun the surface evaporates the carbon dioxide and returns it to the atmosphere leaving behind the water and dust. The ice seen in this picture, like that which formed one Martian year ago is extremely thin perhaps no more than one-thousandth of an inch thick.
A Face On Mars
Title A Face On Mars
Explanation This image, showing what looks to be a human face [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/facts/HTML/FS-016-HQ.html ] (above center) and other features of the Cydonia region on the Martian surface [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap960207.html ], was produced using data from NASA's Viking 1 [ http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/viking.html ] orbiter in 1976. Described in a NASA press release [ http://barsoom.msss.com/education/facepage/pio.html ] as a "rock formation which resembles a human head", some have since offered the extraordinary explanation that the face is an artificial construct built by a civilization on Mars [ http://www.seds.org/nineplanets/nineplanets/mars.html ]! However, most scientists have a more conventional view - that this feature [ http://barsoom.msss.com/education/facepage/face.html ] is indeed a natural Martian hill whose illusory face-like appearance [ http://barsoom.msss.com/education/happy_face/happy_face.html ] depends on illumination and viewing angle. This month [ http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/releases/98/cydonia2.html ], the Mars Global Surveyor [ http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/mgs/ ] satellite will be in position to take new pictures [ ftp://ftp.hq.nasa.gov/pub/pao/pressrel/1998/98-050.txt ] of this region of controversial Martian features along with areas around the Mars Pathfinder [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap971010.html ] and Viking landing [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap960722.html ] sites.
Mars: Looking For Viking
Title Mars: Looking For Viking
Explanation On July 20, 1976, the Viking 1 lander [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap960720.html ] touched down on the Martian Chryse Planitia. Its exact landing site is somewhere [ http://cmex-www.arc.nasa.gov/MarsTools/MarsAtlasMaps/ MarsAtlasMaps.html ] in the white rectangle above. Unfortunately, this wide angle Mars Global Surveyor image [ http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/mgs/msss/camera/images/ 4_14_98_vl1_release/index.html ] taken on April 12 reveals a substantial dust storm in the area with light colored plumes apparently blowing toward the upper right of the picture. Attempts to find the first spacecraft to land on Mars [ http://www.uapress.arizona.edu/online.bks/mars/chap13.htm ] in the corresponding high resolution narrow field images have not been successful due in part to the increased atmospheric haze. The region shown here is about 100 miles across.
Mars: Just The Fiction
Title Mars: Just The Fiction
Explanation For centuries, astronomers have observed Mars [ http://humbabe.arc.nasa.gov/mgcm/fun/mars_chro.html ], patiently compiling many facts [ http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/marsfact.html ] and theories. Like a distant mirror of Earth dwellers' hopes and fears for the future, Mars, the fourth planet from the sun [ http://esther.la.asu.edu:80/asu_tes/TES_Editor/ CURRIC_GUIDES/95_96GUIDE/read_list.html ], has inspired profound works of fiction [ http://www.reston.com/astro/mars/fiction.html ] as well. Classics of the science fiction genre with visions [ http://www-personal.engin.umich.edu/~cerebus/mars/bib1.html ] of Earth's alluring planetary neighbor include H.G. Wells' [ http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~brians/science_fiction/warofworlds.html ] terrifying [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap951031.html ]"War of the Worlds" [ http://www.literature.org/Works/H-G-Wells/war-of-the-worlds/ ], Edgar Rice Buroughs' [ http://www.wowdesign.com/erb/ ] John Carter adventure series (Thuvia, Maid of Mars [ http://www.literature.org/Works/Edgar-Rice-Burroughs/ thuvia-maid-of-mars/ ], The Gods of Mars [ http://www.literature.org/Works/Edgar-Rice-Burroughs/gods-of-mars/ ], A Princess of Mars [ http://www.literature.org/Works/Edgar-Rice-Burroughs/princess-of-mars/ ], The Warlord of Mars [ http://www.literature.org/Works/Edgar-Rice-Burroughs/warlord-of-mars/ ]), Robert Heinlein's [ http://home.t-online.de/home/herb.sev./rah.htm ] youthful "Podkayne of Mars" [ http://www.acdev.com/~fabrice/crit/mars.htm ], and Ray Bradbury's reflective and philosophical [ http://humbabe.arc.nasa.gov/mgcm/fun/pop.html ]"The Martian Chronicles" [ http://www.wsu.edu:8000/~brians/science_fiction/ martian_chronicles.html ]. Through the years scientific theories about Mars have been disproven [ http://www.mk.net/~dt/Bibliomania/NonFiction/Lowell/Mars/index.html ], but the sense of wonder and adventure embodied in these works of fiction remain with us. As two spacecraft [ http://ic-www.arc.nasa.gov/ic/projects/bayes-group/ Atlas/Mars/VSC/views/entrance/entrance.html ] from Earth now draw close to the red planet- in dreams, desires [ http://www-personal.engin.umich.edu/~cerebus/mars/index.html ], and a quest for knowledge [ http://cmex-www.arc.nasa.gov/ ] - we are once again bound for Mars [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap970522.html ].
Views of Mars with MOLA+Viki …
Title Views of Mars with MOLA+Viking data
Abstract These views of Mars were generated for the National Geographic Society as reference materials for their February 2001 'Mars Revealed' poster.
Completed 2000-08-11
Views of Mars with MOLA+Viki …
Title Views of Mars with MOLA+Viking data
Abstract These views of Mars were generated for the National Geographic Society as reference materials for their February 2001 'Mars Revealed' poster.
Completed 2000-08-11
Views of Mars with MOLA+Viki …
Title Views of Mars with MOLA+Viking data
Abstract These views of Mars were generated for the National Geographic Society as reference materials for their February 2001 'Mars Revealed' poster.
Completed 2000-08-11
Views of Mars with MOLA+Viki …
Title Views of Mars with MOLA+Viking data
Abstract These views of Mars were generated for the National Geographic Society as reference materials for their February 2001 'Mars Revealed' poster.
Completed 2000-08-11
Views of Mars with MOLA+Viki …
Title Views of Mars with MOLA+Viking data
Abstract These views of Mars were generated for the National Geographic Society as reference materials for their February 2001 'Mars Revealed' poster.
Completed 2000-08-11
Views of Mars with MOLA+Viki …
Title Views of Mars with MOLA+Viking data
Abstract These views of Mars were generated for the National Geographic Society as reference materials for their February 2001 'Mars Revealed' poster.
Completed 2000-08-11
Views of Mars with MOLA+Viki …
Title Views of Mars with MOLA+Viking data
Abstract These views of Mars were generated for the National Geographic Society as reference materials for their February 2001 'Mars Revealed' poster.
Completed 2000-08-11
Views of Mars with MOLA+Viki …
Title Views of Mars with MOLA+Viking data
Abstract These views of Mars were generated for the National Geographic Society as reference materials for their February 2001 'Mars Revealed' poster.
Completed 2000-08-11
Push in South of the Hellas …
Title Push in South of the Hellas Basin using Viking Imagery
Completed 1999-11-22
Viking 1's 30th!
PIA08616
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
Title Viking 1's 30th!
Original Caption Released with Image 20 July 2006 Viking 1 landed 30 years ago today, on 20 July 1976. It was the first U.S. landing on Mars and a very exciting time for Mars exploration. Since that time, four additional spacecraft have successfully landed on Mars and conducted their science investigations. Today, new missions to the martian surface are in the works, with landings expected in 2008 (Phoenix) and 2010 (Mars Science Laboratory). The Viking 1 lander is difficult to see in Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) images. The western Chryse Planitia landing site is often obscured by dust hazes and occasional storms, especially during northern winter, which would otherwise be the best time to look for the lander from orbit because the sun casts longer shadows in winter. When the atmosphere is clearest, in portions of the spring and summer, the sun is higher in the sky as seen from MGS's orbit. The spacecraft always passes over the landing site region around 2 p.m. in the afternoon. The suite of pictures shown here describes the best MOC view of the landing site. These were previously released in May 2005 [ http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/2005/05/09/ ], but the MOC team felt that 20 July 2006 is an appropriate time to review this story. The first figure (left) visually tells how the lander was found. The initial observations of the location of Viking 1, as originally determined by members of the Viking science team based on sightlines to various crater rims seen in the lander images (black lines), did not show the detailed features we knew from the lander pictures (middle) to be in the area. Using geodetic measurements, the late Merton Davies of the RAND Corporation, a MGS MOC Co-Investigator, suggested that we should image areas to the east and north of where Viking 1 was thought to be. Timothy J. Parker of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (Pasadena, California), using sightlines to crater rims seen in the lander images (white lines), deduced a location very close to that suggested by Davies. The MOC image of that location, acquired in 2003, showed additional near-field features (rocks associated with a nearby crater) that closely matched the Viking 1 images (center and right frame, where B denotes "Volkswagen Rock"). The inset (upper right) is an enlargement that shows the location of the Viking 1 lander. The MOC image of the Viking 1 lander site (right) was acquired during a test of the MGS Pitch and Roll Observation (PROTO) technique conducted on 11 May 2003. (Following initial tests, the "c" part of "cPROTO" was begun by adding compensation for the motion of the planet to the technique). The PROTO or cPROTO approach allows MOC to obtain images with better than its nominal 1.5 meters (5 ft) per pixel resolution. The image shown here (right) was map projected at 50 centimeters (~20 inches) per pixel. The full 11 May 2003 image can be viewed in the MOC Gallery [ http://www.msss.com/moc_gallery/ ], it is image, R05-00966 [ http://www.msss.com/moc_gallery/r03_r09/images/R05/R0500966.html ]. In addition to celebrating the 30th anniversary of the first U.S. robotic Mars landing, we note that 20 July is also the 37th anniversary of the first human landing on the Moon, on 20 July 1969. There are two dates that are most sacred in the space business (three, if you count the 4 October 1957 launch of Sputnik 1). The other date is 12 April, which celebrates the 1961 launch of the first human in space, and the 1981 launch of the first space shuttle orbiter.
Movement of Whole Martian Du …
PIA02355
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
Title Movement of Whole Martian Dunes Difficult to Detect or Confirm
Original Caption Released with Image Dunes on Earth move downwind at different speeds depending upon the local wind conditions, the amount of loose sand available to be transported by wind, the shape and volume of the dunes, and overgrowths of vegetation. Typically, smaller dunes move faster than larger dunes. On Earth, some of the fastest-moving dunes that have been measured (e.g., in the deserts of Peru) move 10 to 30 meters (33 to 100 feet) per year. Small dunes usually have an almost crescent-shape to them, and are known to geologists as barchan dunes. To look for evidence of dune movement on Mars, the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) has been used to re-visit some areas of known barchan dunes--because these types move the fastest--that were observed by the Mariner 9 orbiter in 1972 and the Viking 1 and 2 orbiters between 1976 and 1980. The picture above, left, shows a MOC high-resolution image taken December 25, 1999. The classic, crescentic shape of the dark barchan dunes can be seen in this picture. The steep slopes, also known as the dune slip faces, on these dunes are facing toward the southwest (north is up in both pictures). Thus, the shape of the dunes indicates that they are moving toward the southwest. The picture above right shows the MOC image from December 1999 superimposed on a Viking 1 image taken May 27, 1978. During the 11 1/2 Mars years that passed between these two dates, it turns out that no difference can be detected in the position of the dunes seen in the MOC image and the Viking image. The earlier Viking image had a resolution of about 17 meters (56 ft) per pixel, while the MOC image had a resolution of about 3.8 meters (12 ft) per pixel. Although it looks like the dunes didn't move between the Viking and MOC images, this observation is limited by the resolution of the Viking image. It is entirely possible that the dunes have moved as much as 17-20 meters (16-66 ft) and one would not be able to tell by comparing the images. As it is, movement of less than 20 meters (66 ft) in 11 martian years (nearly 22 Earth years) is slower than some dunes of similar size and shape on Earth. Thus, it appears that martian dunes are not "experiencing" the level of activity commonly reported for some of the modern desert dunes found on Earth. The dune field illustrated in these pictures is located in a western Arabia Terra crater at 1.6°N, 351.6°W. Both the Viking and MOC images are illuminated from the left.
Movement of Whole Martian Du …
PIA02355
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
Title Movement of Whole Martian Dunes Difficult to Detect or Confirm
Original Caption Released with Image Dunes on Earth move downwind at different speeds depending upon the local wind conditions, the amount of loose sand available to be transported by wind, the shape and volume of the dunes, and overgrowths of vegetation. Typically, smaller dunes move faster than larger dunes. On Earth, some of the fastest-moving dunes that have been measured (e.g., in the deserts of Peru) move 10 to 30 meters (33 to 100 feet) per year. Small dunes usually have an almost crescent-shape to them, and are known to geologists as barchan dunes. To look for evidence of dune movement on Mars, the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) has been used to re-visit some areas of known barchan dunes--because these types move the fastest--that were observed by the Mariner 9 orbiter in 1972 and the Viking 1 and 2 orbiters between 1976 and 1980. The picture above, left, shows a MOC high-resolution image taken December 25, 1999. The classic, crescentic shape of the dark barchan dunes can be seen in this picture. The steep slopes, also known as the dune slip faces, on these dunes are facing toward the southwest (north is up in both pictures). Thus, the shape of the dunes indicates that they are moving toward the southwest. The picture above right shows the MOC image from December 1999 superimposed on a Viking 1 image taken May 27, 1978. During the 11 1/2 Mars years that passed between these two dates, it turns out that no difference can be detected in the position of the dunes seen in the MOC image and the Viking image. The earlier Viking image had a resolution of about 17 meters (56 ft) per pixel, while the MOC image had a resolution of about 3.8 meters (12 ft) per pixel. Although it looks like the dunes didn't move between the Viking and MOC images, this observation is limited by the resolution of the Viking image. It is entirely possible that the dunes have moved as much as 17-20 meters (16-66 ft) and one would not be able to tell by comparing the images. As it is, movement of less than 20 meters (66 ft) in 11 martian years (nearly 22 Earth years) is slower than some dunes of similar size and shape on Earth. Thus, it appears that martian dunes are not "experiencing" the level of activity commonly reported for some of the modern desert dunes found on Earth. The dune field illustrated in these pictures is located in a western Arabia Terra crater at 1.6°N, 351.6°W. Both the Viking and MOC images are illuminated from the left.
Viking Lander 1 (Thomas A. M …
PIA01881
Sol (our sun)
HiRISE
Title Viking Lander 1 (Thomas A. Mutch Memorial Station) Imaged from Orbit
Original Caption Released with Image Annotated Version NASA's Viking Lander 1 touched down in western Chryse Planitia on July 20, 1976. The lander, which has a diameter of about 3 meters (10 feet), has been precisely located in this image from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Also, likely locations have been found for the heat shield, back shell, and parachute attached to the back shell. The lander location has been confirmed by overlaying the lander-derived topographic contours on the high-resolution camera's image, which provides an excellent match. Viking Lander 1 was one element of an ambitious mission to study Mars, with a four-spacecraft flotilla consisting of two orbiters and two landers. Four cutouts from this image are shown. The first is an overview showing the relative locations of the lander and candidate back shell and heat shield, and the others are enlargements of each of these components. Large boulders, dunes, and other features visible in Lander images can be located in the image. A prime motivation for early viewing of these Viking sites is to calibrate imagery taken from orbit with the data previously acquired by the landers. In particular, determining what sizes of rocks can be seen from Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter aids the interpretation of data now being taken to characterize sites for future landers, such as the Phoenix Mars Lander mission to be launched in 2007. Images from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment and additional information about the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter are available online at: http://www.nasa.gov/mro [ http://www.nasa.gov/mro ] or http://HiRISE.lpl.arizona.edu [ http://HiRISE.lpl.arizona.edu ]. For information about NASA and agency programs on the Web, http://www.nasa.gov [ http://www.nasa.gov ]. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems is the prime contractor for the project and built the spacecraft. The High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment camera was built by Ball Aerospace Corporation and is operated by the University of Arizona.
Viking Lander 1 (Thomas A. M …
PIA01881
Sol (our sun)
HiRISE
Title Viking Lander 1 (Thomas A. Mutch Memorial Station) Imaged from Orbit
Original Caption Released with Image Annotated Version NASA's Viking Lander 1 touched down in western Chryse Planitia on July 20, 1976. The lander, which has a diameter of about 3 meters (10 feet), has been precisely located in this image from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Also, likely locations have been found for the heat shield, back shell, and parachute attached to the back shell. The lander location has been confirmed by overlaying the lander-derived topographic contours on the high-resolution camera's image, which provides an excellent match. Viking Lander 1 was one element of an ambitious mission to study Mars, with a four-spacecraft flotilla consisting of two orbiters and two landers. Four cutouts from this image are shown. The first is an overview showing the relative locations of the lander and candidate back shell and heat shield, and the others are enlargements of each of these components. Large boulders, dunes, and other features visible in Lander images can be located in the image. A prime motivation for early viewing of these Viking sites is to calibrate imagery taken from orbit with the data previously acquired by the landers. In particular, determining what sizes of rocks can be seen from Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter aids the interpretation of data now being taken to characterize sites for future landers, such as the Phoenix Mars Lander mission to be launched in 2007. Images from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment and additional information about the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter are available online at: http://www.nasa.gov/mro [ http://www.nasa.gov/mro ] or http://HiRISE.lpl.arizona.edu [ http://HiRISE.lpl.arizona.edu ]. For information about NASA and agency programs on the Web, http://www.nasa.gov [ http://www.nasa.gov ]. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems is the prime contractor for the project and built the spacecraft. The High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment camera was built by Ball Aerospace Corporation and is operated by the University of Arizona.
Viking Lander 1 (Thomas A. M …
PIA01881
Sol (our sun)
HiRISE
Title Viking Lander 1 (Thomas A. Mutch Memorial Station) Imaged from Orbit
Original Caption Released with Image Annotated Version NASA's Viking Lander 1 touched down in western Chryse Planitia on July 20, 1976. The lander, which has a diameter of about 3 meters (10 feet), has been precisely located in this image from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Also, likely locations have been found for the heat shield, back shell, and parachute attached to the back shell. The lander location has been confirmed by overlaying the lander-derived topographic contours on the high-resolution camera's image, which provides an excellent match. Viking Lander 1 was one element of an ambitious mission to study Mars, with a four-spacecraft flotilla consisting of two orbiters and two landers. Four cutouts from this image are shown. The first is an overview showing the relative locations of the lander and candidate back shell and heat shield, and the others are enlargements of each of these components. Large boulders, dunes, and other features visible in Lander images can be located in the image. A prime motivation for early viewing of these Viking sites is to calibrate imagery taken from orbit with the data previously acquired by the landers. In particular, determining what sizes of rocks can be seen from Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter aids the interpretation of data now being taken to characterize sites for future landers, such as the Phoenix Mars Lander mission to be launched in 2007. Images from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment and additional information about the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter are available online at: http://www.nasa.gov/mro [ http://www.nasa.gov/mro ] or http://HiRISE.lpl.arizona.edu [ http://HiRISE.lpl.arizona.edu ]. For information about NASA and agency programs on the Web, http://www.nasa.gov [ http://www.nasa.gov ]. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems is the prime contractor for the project and built the spacecraft. The High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment camera was built by Ball Aerospace Corporation and is operated by the University of Arizona.
Viking Lander 1 (Thomas A. M …
PIA01881
Sol (our sun)
HiRISE
Title Viking Lander 1 (Thomas A. Mutch Memorial Station) Imaged from Orbit
Original Caption Released with Image Annotated Version NASA's Viking Lander 1 touched down in western Chryse Planitia on July 20, 1976. The lander, which has a diameter of about 3 meters (10 feet), has been precisely located in this image from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Also, likely locations have been found for the heat shield, back shell, and parachute attached to the back shell. The lander location has been confirmed by overlaying the lander-derived topographic contours on the high-resolution camera's image, which provides an excellent match. Viking Lander 1 was one element of an ambitious mission to study Mars, with a four-spacecraft flotilla consisting of two orbiters and two landers. Four cutouts from this image are shown. The first is an overview showing the relative locations of the lander and candidate back shell and heat shield, and the others are enlargements of each of these components. Large boulders, dunes, and other features visible in Lander images can be located in the image. A prime motivation for early viewing of these Viking sites is to calibrate imagery taken from orbit with the data previously acquired by the landers. In particular, determining what sizes of rocks can be seen from Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter aids the interpretation of data now being taken to characterize sites for future landers, such as the Phoenix Mars Lander mission to be launched in 2007. Images from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment and additional information about the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter are available online at: http://www.nasa.gov/mro [ http://www.nasa.gov/mro ] or http://HiRISE.lpl.arizona.edu [ http://HiRISE.lpl.arizona.edu ]. For information about NASA and agency programs on the Web, http://www.nasa.gov [ http://www.nasa.gov ]. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems is the prime contractor for the project and built the spacecraft. The High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment camera was built by Ball Aerospace Corporation and is operated by the University of Arizona.
Viking Lander 1 (Thomas A. M …
PIA01881
Sol (our sun)
HiRISE
Title Viking Lander 1 (Thomas A. Mutch Memorial Station) Imaged from Orbit
Original Caption Released with Image Annotated Version NASA's Viking Lander 1 touched down in western Chryse Planitia on July 20, 1976. The lander, which has a diameter of about 3 meters (10 feet), has been precisely located in this image from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Also, likely locations have been found for the heat shield, back shell, and parachute attached to the back shell. The lander location has been confirmed by overlaying the lander-derived topographic contours on the high-resolution camera's image, which provides an excellent match. Viking Lander 1 was one element of an ambitious mission to study Mars, with a four-spacecraft flotilla consisting of two orbiters and two landers. Four cutouts from this image are shown. The first is an overview showing the relative locations of the lander and candidate back shell and heat shield, and the others are enlargements of each of these components. Large boulders, dunes, and other features visible in Lander images can be located in the image. A prime motivation for early viewing of these Viking sites is to calibrate imagery taken from orbit with the data previously acquired by the landers. In particular, determining what sizes of rocks can be seen from Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter aids the interpretation of data now being taken to characterize sites for future landers, such as the Phoenix Mars Lander mission to be launched in 2007. Images from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment and additional information about the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter are available online at: http://www.nasa.gov/mro [ http://www.nasa.gov/mro ] or http://HiRISE.lpl.arizona.edu [ http://HiRISE.lpl.arizona.edu ]. For information about NASA and agency programs on the Web, http://www.nasa.gov [ http://www.nasa.gov ]. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems is the prime contractor for the project and built the spacecraft. The High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment camera was built by Ball Aerospace Corporation and is operated by the University of Arizona.
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