Viking 1 and 2 both operated beyond design expectations:

Design (90 Sols) vs  Nominal missions

971 Sols VL-1, 1,200 sols VL-2

 

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Viking 1 was the Mars probe with longest operational period on the surface of Mars – 2245 Sols until Opportunity overtook it on May 19, 2010

Viking 2 was the second longest operational duration on the surface of Mars for a lander or rover until August 11, 2007, when Spirit overtook it at 1282 Sols, one Sol longer.

~ Perspective: Viking Missions landed in 1976 – 30 years earlier!

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“The Viking mission looms like a legendary giant, an incredible success against which all present and future missions will be measured,”

~ Doug McCuiston, Mars Exploration Program Director

NASA Headquarters in Washington

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“Simply put, Viking laid the foundation for our planetary programs. Not just where we have the ability to go, and not just where we should land, but what kind of things we should be looking for once we do.”

~ Daniel S. Goldin, NASA Administrator at Mars/Viking 25th Anniversary

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On the morning of 1 July 1976, the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Washington D.C. was opened by President Gerald Ford when a ribbon was cut by a signal sent from the Viking Mars spacecraft.

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The original “The Viking View of Mars” exhibit in the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum opened in 1983, and was the most popular exhibit since Apollo for 25 years. It was also the first internet served exhibit at the Smithsonian Museum.

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Tillman and collaborators extended VL-1 from sol 1,000~ to sol 2,245 from NASA Deep Space Network to JPL to the University of Washington through a one of a kind arrangement, beyond design expectation and provided researchers with unprecedented data.

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“The meteorological time series acquired by the Viking Landers on the surface of Mars is unprecedented for planets other than Earth in terms of its longevity and its temporal resolution.”

~ Rich. W. Zurek, Chap. 24, “Mars”, 1992

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Viking was a project that involved, inspired and created a legacy of Scientific Discovery, Technology Development, Entrepreneurial, and Civic Leadership that has spanned the last 40 years and continues today through peer influence and contributions.