AeroVia LogoAeroVia
Back to Vehicles

Viking 2 Lander

The Viking 2 lander was the surface spacecraft carried to Mars by the Viking 2 orbiter. It separated for descent and landed in Utopia Planitia on September 3, 1976, becoming the second long-lived Viking station on Mars. Cameras documented the rocky site and seasonal changes while instruments measured weather and investigated soil chemistry and possible biological activity. The lander continued returning data into 1980. Its observations complemented the lower-latitude Viking 1 site, but its biology measurements did not provide a confirmed detection of life.

Viking 2 Lander
NASA · NASA content used factually for educational and informational web presentation under NASA Images and Media Usage Guidelines; acknowledge NASA, do not imply endorsement, and preserve any separately marked third-party rights. · Source

Identity

Name
Viking 2 Lander
Status
retired

Details

Description
The Viking 2 lander was the surface spacecraft carried to Mars by the Viking 2 orbiter. It separated for descent and landed in Utopia Planitia on September 3, 1976, becoming the second long-lived Viking station on Mars. Cameras documented the rocky site and seasonal changes while instruments measured weather and investigated soil chemistry and possible biological activity. The lander continued returning data into 1980. Its observations complemented the lower-latitude Viking 1 site, but its biology measurements did not provide a confirmed detection of life.
First Flight Date
1975-09-09
Programs
Vehicle Family

Links

Official Url
https://science.nasa.gov/mission/viking/

Assets & Meta

Creation Time
August 11, 2026 at 23:55:41 UTC
Updated Time
October 29, 2026 at 15:34:15 UTC
Image
Download