A classic image of Mars from the Viking lander. Click on image
for full size The Viking Missions The Viking I and Viking 2
missions were designed to both orbit Mars and land and make
exploratory observations on the planet's surface. At this stage
in the history of the exploration of Mars, scientists had no
idea what to expect nor what they might discover upon landing on
the surface. The landers verified Mariner missions' bleak
findings of the "lunar-esc" Martian landscape, and performed
soil studies similar to those performed by Mars Pathfinder
(MPF). The soils examined by the Viking missions were found to
be similar, but unlike those explored by MPF! Immediately prior
to Viking 2 orbit insertion, Mars was completely enveloped in a
global dust storm, rendering the surface invisible to cameras
for several months. It was the first time that scientists
realized the extent and potential intensity of Martain dust
storms. Eventually, pictures *were* returned by the Viking
orbiters and these pictures contained valua