HiRISE Image of Viking Lander 1

This HiRISE image of the Viking Lander 1 (VL1) was taken in early June, 2016, to support the 40^th anniversary of the opening of the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum. A signal from the Viking 1 spacecraft as it was approaching Mars was used to trigger the ribbon-cutting to open the Museum on July 1, 1976. The lander is now a part of the Smithsonian’s collection and the image recreates the sense of that event.

VL1 touched down in western Chryse Planitia on July 20, 1976 and has a diameter of about 3 meters. The VL1 landing site has been named the Thomas Mutch Memorial Station and the lander and associated hardware were first imaged by HiRISE in 2006.