Viking 2 spacecraft lands at Utopia Planitia on Mars 40 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Sep 3 1976)

1970s, space exploration


Video: 'Viking First Views of Mars'

(Friday, September 3, 1976, 22:37:50 UTC/18:37:50 EDT) — America’s Viking 2 lander became the second automated visitor from Earth to land successfully on Mars today to take the first close-up, color photographs of the red planet’s surface.