PDS_VERSION_ID = PDS3 RECORD_TYPE = STREAM LABEL_REVISION_NOTE = "NULL" OBJECT = INSTRUMENT_HOST INSTRUMENT_HOST_ID = "VL2" OBJECT = INSTRUMENT_HOST_INFORMATION INSTRUMENT_HOST_NAME = "VIKING LANDER 2" INSTRUMENT_HOST_TYPE = "SPACECRAFT" INSTRUMENT_HOST_DESC = " Instrument Host Overview ======================== The two Viking Lander spacecraft were the first spacecraft to operate successfully for an extended period of time on the surface of Mars. Both spacecraft operated from 1976 through April 1980 and Viking Lander 1 (VL1) continued to operate until November 1982. In 1981, Viking Lander 1 was renamed the Thomas A. Mutch Memorial Station in honor of Tim Mutch, Lander Imaging Team Leader and later NASA Associate Administrator for Space Sciences. Tim Mutch was killed in a climbing accident in 1980. The Viking Landers were identical to each other and had the same instrument packages. The main lander structure was a hexagonal prism body that housed the spacecraft computers, tape recorder, batteries, several science instruments, and controls for the surface sampler, thermal system, and data handling system. The spacecraft body was supported above the surface by three legs, each with a curved footpad. The legs were arranged in a triangle pattern with two at the front of the lander and one at the rear. Mounted to the sides of the spacecraft were three terminal descent engines, two propellant tanks, and the extendible surface sampler arm and collector head. Also mounted on the spacecraft body were two cameras, two radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTG) with covers, sample entry ports for the biology, organic chemistry and inorganic chemistry instruments, the seismometer, the meteorology boom, a magnifying mirror, and three imaging reference test charts. The spacecraft had three antennas for communications; a high-gain S-band antenna (the large disk antenna), a low-gain S-band antenna, and a UHF antenna. The two S-band antennas were used to communicate with Earth, whereas the UHF antenna communicated with the orbiters. The spacecraft had several redundant systems for computers, batteries, and communication systems [Moore et al., 1987]. The lander was about 1.5 m across. Clearance between the spacecraft body and the surface was about 22 cm. After landing the spacecraft weighted about 610 kg. Power for the spacecraft was generated by the two RTGs in which plutonium-238 produced about 70 watts of electric power and also charged a series of batteries. Excess heat from the RTGs was used to heat the instruments and control systems in the spacecraft body [Soffen, 1977]. Science Packages ================ Lander science packages included eight investigations. The imaging system included two identical facsimile cameras. The meteorology package was mounted on a mast and had instruments to measure atmospheric temperature, pressure, and wind speed and direction. Each lander had a three-axis, short-period seismometer to measure Mars seismic activity. The seismometer on VL1 failed to deploy and no data was returned from it, while the one on VL2 operated as planned. A X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (XRFS) measured the inorganic elemental composition of soils at the landing sites. A gas chromatograph mass spectrometer (GCMS) measured the composition of the atmosphere and searched for organic compounds in the soils. The biology investigation consisted of three experiments to search for biological metabolism, growth, or photosynthesis: carbon assimilation, labeled release of carbon-14, and gas exchange. The physical properties investigation used information from many lander operations, such as sampling activities, digging trenches, pushing rocks, forming soil piles, and footpad penetration during landing to characterize the properties of rocks and soils at the landing sites. The magnetic properties experiment was the only Viking experiment to directly study the mineralogy of soils. This experiment consisted of magnets mounted on the surface sampler collector head and on the lander deck to collect magnetic minerals. Finally, lander communication systems were used for radio science experiments [Snyder and Moroz, 1992]." END_OBJECT = INSTRUMENT_HOST_INFORMATION OBJECT = INSTRUMENT_HOST_REFERENCE_INFO REFERENCE_KEY_ID = "MOOREETAL1987" END_OBJECT = INSTRUMENT_HOST_REFERENCE_INFO OBJECT = INSTRUMENT_HOST_REFERENCE_INFO REFERENCE_KEY_ID = "SNYDER&MOROZ1992" END_OBJECT = INSTRUMENT_HOST_REFERENCE_INFO OBJECT = INSTRUMENT_HOST_REFERENCE_INFO REFERENCE_KEY_ID = "SOFFEN1977" END_OBJECT = INSTRUMENT_HOST_REFERENCE_INFO END_OBJECT = INSTRUMENT_HOST END