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03/09/1976 Viking 2 spacecraft lands at Utopia Planitia on Mars

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Viking 1 and Viking 2 Legacy

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Viking First Views of Mars

The craft was launched in September 1975. The following launch using a Titan/Centaur launch vehicle and a 333-day cruise to Mars, the Viking 2 Orbiter began returning global images of Mars prior to orbit insertion. The Viking Orbiters caused a revolution in our ideas about water on Mars. Huge river valleys were found in many areas.