Viking on Mars - A preliminary survey
Abstract
Selection of landing site, observations of Martian topography from orbit, a log of entry into the Martian atmosphere and landing operations, and soil experiments executed at the landing site are recounted. Several photographs overviewing Martian terrain from orbit (1600 to 1900 km up) are shown. Soil sampling and analysis experiments and experiments designed to detect biotic activity (pyrolysis, labeled release of 14-carbon-tagged CO2, gas exchange and vapor chromatography, pyrolytic release) are described and some preliminary results reported. Results on surface geology and chemical composition of the Martian atmosphere are cited.
- Publication:
-
American Scientist
- Pub Date:
- December 1976
- Bibcode:
- 1976AmSci..64..620Y
- Keywords:
-
- Mars Atmosphere;
- Mars Photographs;
- Mars Surface Samples;
- Viking Lander 1;
- Viking Mars Program;
- Atmospheric Entry;
- Carbon 14;
- Geological Surveys;
- Isotopic Labeling;
- Landing Sites;
- Life Detectors;
- Pyrolysis;
- Soil Science;
- Terrain Analysis;
- Viking Orbiter 1;
- Lunar and Planetary Exploration