Viking+II+Lands+on+Mars+G2

=Viking II Lands on Mars=

Overview
The biggest achievement since the moon landing, the Viking II entered orbit around the planet Mars August 7, 1976. The part that landed collected information on geography. Volcanoes, lava plains, great canyons, wind-formed features, craters, and even evidence of surface water was found by the orbiter. The orbiter gave us the ability to map Mars as an entire planet. The planet was able to be divided into two regions. The northern region was found to be mostly low plains while the northern region was found to be mostly cratered highlands. It can be hard to imagine that two hundred years after we declared our independence, we sent unmanned spacecraft to Mars to explore the planet.

Central Issue
The Viking II landing is most important because of the evidence of surface water. Water is needed for life and colonization. If water could be found on Mars, the planet could be colonized. By finding evidence of surface water, there was more support for further exploration. The mission of the Viking II was not necessarily to find life, but it was to find if there is potential for life on the planet. The temperature range is much too extreme for life, but if there is a way to start the process of evolution on the planet, then it may be possible to colonize the planet in the distant future.

Conclusion/Historical Significance
The Viking II landing was a great step for the United States and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration(NASA). There had been no major progress in space exploration for seven years. The moon landing was fading in the minds of Americans, and the Viking II reminded them about space exploration. The Viking II provided a plethora of information about the planet Mars itself. Observing the planet through space telescopes could not possibly gather the information the Viking II provided.