Keith Ferris Originals

Created for the cover of the 1977 Keith Ferris/Aviation Week & Space Technology Calendar, “Viking On Mars” depicts the first Viking Lander on the surface of Mars on July 20, 1976. This was the first spacecraft to conduct scientific studies on the surface of another planet and it immediately transmitted images to Earth’s TV screens. 

 

On September 3, 1976 a second Viking Lander joined the first to study a different area of Mars. The two Viking Landers transmitted information to Earth for a full two years, after which one continued to send information on a weekly basis. The Viking program was a complete success. A Viking test vehicle is displayed at the National Air & Space Museum in Washington, DC. 

 

Published: Aviation Week & Space Technology Calendar 1977

​