SP-4212
On Mars: Exploration of the Red Planet. 1958-1978

The Voyager lander proposed in September 1966 for 1977-1979 landings on Mars was quite similar to the Viking lander that would reach the Red Planet in 1976.

The Voyager lander proposed in September 1966 for 1977-1979 landings on Mars was quite similar to the Viking lander that would reach the Red Planet in 1976. Similar elements included the tripod landing gear, large direct-link high-gain antenna, smaller relay antenna, and radioisotope thermoelectric generators. The 1966 design already had a boom soil sampler and a television camera, but the scientific experiments would need more definition for a biological mission. The plan across the legs of the Voyager lander was nearly twice that of the Viking. Proposed weight was about twice that of Viking. VPE-14 Project Study.

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