Mission End
The craft eventually failed, one by one, as follows:
| Craft | Arrival date | Shut-off date | Operational lifetime | Cause of failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Viking 2 orbiter | August 7, 1976 | July 25, 1978 | 1-year, 11 months, 18 days | Shut down after fuel leak in propulsion system. |
| Viking 2 lander | September 3, 1976 | April 11, 1980 | 3 years, 7 months, 8 days | Battery failure. |
| Viking 1 orbiter | June 19, 1976 | August 17, 1980 | 4 years, 1-month, 19 days | Shut down after depletion of altitude control fuel. |
| Viking 1 lander | July 20, 1976 | November 13, 1982 | 6 years, 3 months, 22 days | Human error during software update caused the lander's antenna to go down, terminating communication. |
The whole Viking program was finally shut down on May 21, 1983. To prevent an imminent impact with Mars the orbit of Viking 1 orbiter was raised. Impact and potential contamination on the planet's surface is possible from 2019 onwards.
Read more about this topic: Viking Program
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