Viking 1

Launch Date

Aug 20, 1975

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viking_1 Viking 1 lifted off on August 20, 1975 using a Titan/Centaur launch vehicle.

Inserted into Mars orbit

Jun 19, 1976

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viking_1 Viking 1 was inserted into Mars orbit on June 20,1976. It orbited for one month and one day.

Touchdown on Mars

Jul 20, 1976

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/MRO/multimedia/mro-20061204-v1.html Viking 1 touched down on Mars on July 20, 1976 at the Chryse Planitia. It tried to land on the 4th of July to celebrate two hundred years of freedom, but the landing would have been too rough at that time, so it landed on July 20th instead

Mssion Ends

Aug 17, 1980

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viking_1 NASA stops the Viking 1 mission.

Viking 1 completes 1,480 orbits

Aug 17, 1980

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viking_1 The Viking 1 completes 1,480 orbits around Mars.

Viking 1 "death"

Nov 13, 1982

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viking_1 When the wrong command came from ground control NASA lost all radio contact with the node. NASA had no choice but to abort the Viking 1 mission.