Changing to a backup spacecraft before the flight, and discovering clues to life on Mars
To the previous chapter - introduction: Viking spacecraft to Mars
August 11, 1975 was the launch date of the spacecraft. All systems are fine. Close to the launch of the spacecraft, a fault was discovered in the valve in the control system of the launcher. It was decided to postpone the launch for 24 hours to carry out the necessary repair. This postponement was not enough and an additional 24 hour postponement was necessary. The fault was fixed by replacing the valve with a new one. On August 12, more faults were discovered. Operating the wrong switches will completely drain the batteries. There was no choice but to take the spacecraft off the launcher and put the twin spacecraft in its place, an operation that requires several days including re-disinfection of the transferred spacecraft. On August 17, it was reported that there is a chance of carrying out the landing as planned, provided that the spacecraft is launched on August 20 and enters orbit around Mars on June 19, 1976.
August 20 - Viking A was successfully launched. It entered a parking orbit at a distance of 184 km from the Earth and then was directed to a flight path to Mars. The spacecraft is supposed to enter orbit around Mars on June 19, 1976 and they hoped to land between July 4 and 9.
August 27- correction in the flight path.
February 1976 - at the beginning of the month, a malfunction was discovered in one of the biological cells. The fault is the same as the one in Viking B. From tests it became clear that the source of the fault was the lack of heating of the cell or a defect in the telemetry. The source of the malfunctions will become clear only after landing. If the landing conditions are favorable, the malfunction will not interfere with the experiments. If the malfunction occurs when the spacecraft are placed on the launchers, the "blame" can be placed on NASA's reduced budget. This cut budget did not allow for additional tests on the eve of the launch.
April 12 - Today, at a distance of 15.2 million km from Mars, the spacecraft began to transmit the first photographs.
June 7 - another malfunction. The pressure valve regulator caused a slight helium leak. It was decided to postpone a change in the speed of the spacecraft at a rate of 3.7 meters per second for several hours until the cause of the malfunction becomes clear. At the new time, the speed was changed to 50.5 meters per second, thus they hoped to clean the valve holder from a particle that had probably settled there. The fault was not fixed and the spacecraft will enter orbit around Mars six hours late. The fear was that excess pressure due to the leak would cause parts of the propulsion system to break off.
June 9 - Correction in the flight path. With the help of this repair they hoped to correct the malfunction and because of this the speed was changed by 80 meters per second instead of the three meters per second needed to maintain a correct flight path. They hoped to release the valve with a strong stream of helium, but it did not help.
June 15- Another correction in the flight path. The change in speed was at the rate of 60 meters per second. This maneuver has several purposes. Return the spacecraft to its original orbit, release the pressure valve regulator and maintain low pressure by leaving a larger space above the fuel in the tanks.
The spacecraft can safely enter orbit around Mars with the amount of fuel left, thanks to a high safety margin. The promotion can be carried out using only 55% of the fuel amount.
From today until entering orbit around Mars, Viking A made a series of observations towards Mars. This period made it possible for the first time to calibrate the instruments with Mars. Some experiments, such as color photographs of the full disk of Mars, can only be carried out at a time like this, because later the spacecraft will be closer to Mars. Measurements of Mars, Phobos and Demos are used for precise navigations necessary for entering orbit. One of the instructions sent to the spacecraft was to activate the braking engine automatically in case of any communication failure so that the entry into orbit would take place in any case.
June 20 - At the end of a series of maneuvers that lasted 40 minutes, the spacecraft entered orbit around Mars, which is 1,504 km -48,057 km from the ground, the duration of the orbit being 42.6 hours. and the inclination angle is 37 degrees. Higher route than planned. From the observations made in the last five days, it seems that Mars shines to a higher degree than expected. Probably because of the large clouds of water vapor that floated in the atmosphere. Above the region of Hellas there is a large amount of water. In other places frost was noticed, apparently of 2 CO. Snow fills the bottom of ancient craters. Due to the height of the runway, the observations at the landing site were postponed.
June 21 - at the end of the first lap, the spacecraft's engine was turned on again and it was placed in the original orbit 1,530 - 32,640 km, the duration of the lap 24.66 hours and the angle of inclination 38 degrees. This trajectory allowed the spacecraft to survey the landing site several times a day.
June 22 - From today until the landing, the spacecraft photographed the landing site every day. Today the first photographs of Chryse were taken in black and white. The findings of the last few days showed a higher than expected presence of water vapor in the low areas. These findings further encouraged space scientists to look for signs of life on the planet's surface. It seems that during the hot hours of the day the frost in the low areas evaporates and freezes again at night. These data strengthened the hypothesis that the water on the surface of Mars exists in liquid form for a short time in the transition from frost to steam. This is in contrast to another theory according to which water in a liquid state does not exist on the surface of Mars. If the liquid water theory is correct, it means that the Chryse region is one of the wettest places on the surface of Mars and as such the chances of finding life there increase.
June 24 - Development of the latest images showed that the atmosphere is brighter than expected and a greater number of details can be discerned. It turned out that Chryse was entirely woven into broad blocks of what appeared to be a hardened lava of volcanoes covered with several craters several kilometers in diameter each. The craters are scattered randomly and some of them are older than the lava flows. Some of the lava penetrated through the frozen lava blocks. From the center of one of the craters rises a high mountain and around the crater, material which was apparently thrown from it when the body that created this crater hit the ground. The surface of Mars is dotted with small holes created by rocks that were blown into the air when Mars was crushed or as a result of a meteorite impact.
In several places knobs of ancient recumbent rock have broken through the frozen lava flows that were probably shaved by water currents. The photographs also show wide channels with boulders in them. It seems that these rocks were once swept away by mighty water currents. From the pictures it can be understood that the geological activity of Mars is greater than that of the Moon, but less than the terrestrial activity. Ever in the past lava flows poured out of volcanoes and hardened into smooth plains of basaltic rocks. The source of the rivers in a very ancient period. The atmosphere of Mars today is too thin to allow the presence of liquid and massive water. The assumption is that on the surface of Mars there is a sharp transition of climatic change. The information gathered from the photographs raised fears that the ground conditions would fail the landing.
25.6 - In the new photographs you see a kind of "roads" crossing Mars along its length and width.
27.6 - It turned out that the landing site is higher than expected. The topography did not allow a landing and the weather was not particularly suitable for landing. A wind blew with a force of 100 km/h, blowing ice crystals in its path. The landing is postponed until at least August 7 to find a more suitable landing site. The alternative they thought of was Phoencicia Chryse.
White cloud bands and blue bands were photographed, probably ice. It turned out that the amount of water on the surface of Mars is greater than expected. It is very possible that huge amounts of water flowed on the surface of Mars in its rivers. The atmosphere was denser and any life sizzled across it while the Earth was in its nascent stages.
According to the plan, the biological tests begin seven days from the moment of landing. Obviously, these tests were also rejected. This interval of seven days was essential. It was necessary to wait until the gases from the braking and navigation engines dissipated, so that it would be possible to examine the landing site with the combined action of the two cameras and the mechanical arm.
June 29 - Photographs of the alternative landing site raised concerns about landing there. This area is also crushed and torn.
July 7 - 5,000 km long channels were discovered in the Equator area, originating from earthquakes that occurred millions of years ago.
July 8 - Radar observations made last week showed that the alternative landing site, or as it is called the northwestern site, is higher and more rugged than it appears in the pictures. The new date chosen for the landing was July 17, but it was decided to do it on the 20th of the month, at another site located to the west of the last site. To make the observations, the flight path was slightly diverted. On the 20th of the month, they decide whether to make the landing on the same day and at the new site or whether the landing will still be carried out at the previous site on the 22nd of the month.
July 9 - It may very well be necessary to reduce efforts to discover life on the surface of Mars. Because of the delays in finding a suitable landing site, there are only 40 days left to complete the entire plan. The space scientists hoped to test three soil samples. It is very possible that they will settle for only two. The latest possible landing date is July 20.
July 13 - New findings showed plains of coagulated lava similar to those found on the surface of the moon. The atmosphere is not as clear as they thought. From below it looks cloudy and the vision is dim or hazy. The reasons for this lie in the ice clouds that floated in the air or a dust storm. The atmosphere was defined as "the smog that covers Pasadena - the United States during the day".
July 14 - It was decided to carry out the landing at the third alternative site on July 20. This area looks flat and smooth like smooth lava layers or like the lunar basins. This site is located 1,440 km west-northwest of the original site. They hoped to find river sediments here. In the last 10 days with all the coffee from Mars. The orbit of the spacecraft was tilted to the west while photographing Mars and examining the atmosphere. Today the spacecraft's engine was turned on for four seconds to change its trajectory. From now until the spacecraft lands there will be a permanent way over the final chosen landing site.
July 17 - Today it was reported that the chances are good that Viking A will make a successful landing on the surface of Mars.
July 19 - The lander's engines and systems were tested and found to be in good working order. Except for a few small craters and places that look like dried up stream channels, there are no rocks at the landing site. It was hoped that the landing would be made on a soft dust-like terrain and that the soil here had been swept from the Martian plains. It may very well be rich in organic matter. From the photographs it became clear that the surface of Mars is split due to more powerful currents than those flowing on Earth.
July 20 - On the 29th lap and at a distance of 18,240 km from the ground, three hours and 10 minutes before landing, three explosion mechanisms were activated and after a short time several springs released the lander from the spacecraft. The landing was at 16:00 Martian time at the beginning of its summer. It was a perfect landing. The winds that were blowing at that time did not interfere with the landing, which took place almost at the designated place and 17 seconds late.
Immediately after landing, the lander broadcast two photographs, one of the landing site itself and the other panoramic. Both photographs were extremely sharp and clear, far beyond what was expected. In the first photo you can clearly distinguish different rocks, including some that are a meter in diameter. One of them was seen two meters away from the lander. The soil is sandy. The surface of the ground between the half-submerged rocks looked solid, although it was also possible to distinguish the traces left by the winds. The site looks like a dried up lake. The Martian soil is different from the lunar soil.
In the second photo you can clearly see the horizon line at a distance of 2.4 - 4.8 km from the lander. The ground is strewn with rocks and pebbles of various sizes and some small craters. The craters are similar to those craters created by shells or mortar bombs. Near the horizon are sand dunes and some low hills that reminded some scientists of desert landscapes on Earth. One of them noticed the clouds above the horizon.
The first photographs were broadcast to Israel through the Mekpet. It can be learned from them that near the landing there are rocks of various types. Some are rounded, some are angled and in others you can see the layers. The surrounding area is covered with sand and has rocks with a diameter of 15 cm, while on the horizon you can see rocks with a diameter of 6.6 meters in small hills and an elevated flat area. The wind speed measured today was 24 km/h and the lowest temperature recorded on the first night was 50 degrees below zero.
July 21 - Atmospheric observations near the ground showed that it contains 96% - 2 CO, 3% nitrogen and 0.5% argon. The data obtained showed that the Martian atmosphere was rich in nitrogen in the distant past. Today, 19 hours after the transmission of the first two pictures from the ground of Mars, the first color photograph of the place was taken. It was broadcast directly to Earth. It turned out that Mars is really red. The ground is red brown. The source of the red color of the place is a soil rich in iron like rust. The place is reminiscent of the Australian deserts and the Utah and Arizona deserts in the United States. Dr. Thomas Matz, who is in charge of Viking's surface photography, said that "it is surprisingly similar to areas on Earth - a pleasant sight, definitely not similar to the colors of the moon."
This photograph strengthened the hypothesis that in the past large amounts of water flowed over the surface of Mars. In the photograph you see a plateau-like bump on the horizon line of the type that geologists expect in an area that was subject to water erosion. The operation's geological surveyor, Elliot Morris, said referring to the red color that the quartz sands coated with ferric acid were formed over millions of years of water activity on the sand.
Dr. Fraser Pannell from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (Control Center) said: "It can be determined based on the organization's findings that eons ago Mars produced enough water to cover the entire planet up to a height of 18 meters." There is a very large number of water vapor wet spots in the atmosphere. There are also signs that subterranean permafrost bulges parts of the planet upwards as happens with the tundra in the frozen parts of Alaska.
Another proof of the presence of water in the past are the islands identified in the channels of the rivers that were disturbed. These islands have recognizable coastlines that look like sand hills left after the flood waters have receded. The water may have erupted through volcanic craters billions of years ago, been buried and frozen later, or the water may have stuck to the ground the way many rust-colored minerals form on Earth.
A fundamental problem is how the water is released from the Martian soil. Since the temperatures are very low, there are those who claim that ultraviolet light from the sun is enough, the atmosphere was very thin and therefore penetrated this radiation. Regarding life, Dr. McElroe said: "See why we need life. Energy we have, nitrogen we have, carbon is abundant. Phosphates found in rocks. I don't see anything that excludes the possibility of life on Mars."
Although the dominant color is red, on top of the thin red grains are blue-black or green-black spots. Other rocks are blue-green in color and others are opal-like, reminiscent of copper.
July 22 - Viking A's photographs show that the sky of Mars is pink, contrary to the assumption that it said that it is blue similar to the sky of Earth. At first it was thought that the pink color was a mistake resulting from a malfunction in the lander's light computers. Following a careful examination of the color balance of the photographs in red, green and blue, it turned out that the color is really pink. The color of the sky is explained by the refraction of light in dust particles.
The first weather report reported easterly winds in the afternoon that changed after midnight to southwesterly winds when the temperature was 30 degrees below zero. The report also states that the temperature ranges from 80 degrees below zero to 30 degrees below zero. Yesterday the wind blew at a speed of 24 km/h.
It turned out that there was a fault with the seismometer. It was probably damaged during the landing and they tried to repair it. The inability to repair it allowed Viking B only a quantitative examination of the earthquakes without being able to locate their focus and direction. Today four more photographs from the landing site were broadcast.
July 23 - today an inspection was conducted of the arm for collecting soil samples. Upon giving the appropriate instruction, the arm should open to its full length, but the opening was only 20 cm. One of the pins should have come loose and fallen to the ground. This operation was not carried out and the arm was stuck without being able to move. The temperature at that hour was 13 degrees below zero, so the arm should not have been disturbed. It was decided to correct the problem on July 25 by issuing a new instruction. The hypothesis was that the source of the malfunction was electronic noise.
Five black and white photographs were planned for today. The pictures broadcast the day before and today were made using one watt instead of 30 watts as planned. The number of images was small and of poor quality.
July 24 - today the cameras were used to their full capacity and the photos returned to excellent quality. The biological research cells were found to be normal. A test on a model of the lander in the control center also found a way to activate the arm. The findings that have been broadcast so far have confirmed the presence of oxides on Mars and necessarily indicate processes that occur in the presence of water.
July 25 - several color photographs were broadcast. One depicts the sunset and the other the landing site. Strange things were seen in this photograph. Some of the rocks have strange configurations like those of a car: one rock was named "Volkswagen rock" and another rock looks like an elongated, cylindrical body reminiscent of a tube and box of a car's control system. On top of another rock, the letters G, B and the number 2 are visible. Enlarging the images and checking them with a computer showed that the letters and the number are nothing more than an optical phenomenon created in the sand and originating from the play of light and shadow and rock shapes. It is conceivable that there will be similar phenomena in the future and it will be necessary to ignore them. Someone commented that the "letters" seem to have a different color than the ground and not just shadows.
The composition of the atmosphere near the ground was checked and they managed to repair the arm. Had the arm problem not been resolved, it would have been necessary to delay the landing of Viking B. The arm was released by jerking several times.
First meteorological report
In the first two days when Viking A examined the Martian climate - the temperatures, wind speed and wind turns were almost the same. The temperature change was 1.5 degrees and the wind speed was less than 8 km/h. The wind changed its direction on each of the two days at the exact same time. The only strange change was on the second day - lower temperatures, although the wind speed was less than on the first day. The highest temperature recorded on the second day was 31 degrees below zero, at 15:00 in the afternoon according to Mars time and the lowest temperature was 86 degrees below zero and it was measured immediately at dawn.
In the two measurements made on July 21, the temperatures were lower by up to 1.5 degrees than those on July 20. In contrast, the wind speed on July 21 was 30 km/h. From time to time a gust of wind was measured whose speed reached 64 km/h. There was no big difference between the two days, although on July 21 it was colder.
Both days winds blew from the east during the day and at midnight there was a sudden change and they started blowing from the southwest. There were two turns in the direction of the wind during the day and six turns in the direction of the wind during the night. The winds were particularly weak just before the "quiet of midnight" as Dr. Hess, the chief climatologist of Operation Viking, called it. The time when the wind changed its direction. In Dr. Hess's opinion, the wind changed its direction more times during the night because Viking A is at the bottom of a basin where the colder night air flows down from the higher areas of the basin. "The surface cools and cools the air near them and then the cold air flows down the slope" said Dr. Hess, "the turns in the wind direction resulted from the air flow in the basin in different directions."
The barometric pressures deserve special mention due to their stability and throughout the day there was no change in them that exceeded 7.7 millibars. Dr. Hess warned that sudden and even extreme changes may develop in the Martian climate. The temperatures on the surface of the planet are extreme and the changes in them are too fast for sudden changes in the climate to occur.
The lander's photographs clearly indicate that the wind eroded many of the rocks scattered on the surface. According to the traces that the wind plowed in the sand, it was believed that winds with a speed higher than 160 km/h blew in this place for many years. Photographs broadcast from the Mekpet revealed furrows that the wind plowed from the mouths of the craters for 100 km. The furrows were plowed in the same direction as the smaller traces left by the wind in the sand around the landing site.
Viking's climatologists believed that a strong wind with a minimum intensity of 160-240 km/h was needed to lift the sand and fly it in the thin atmosphere. The furrows in the sand are so long in certain areas of Mars that, according to climatologists, they could only be explained by winds blowing at speeds exceeding 320 km/h.
July 26 - today the content of gases in the atmosphere was tested. Several photographs were broadcast to Israel, another attempt was made, although unsuccessful, to repair the seismometer and preparations were completed for conducting biological tests on soil samples for July 28. There is great doubt whether the repair of the seismometer will be successful at all.
A tiny amount of the isotope argon 36 was discovered in the atmosphere, which can only be formed during the formation of the entire solar system. Signs of Argon 36 are still present in the Earth's atmosphere. The researchers linked the presence of this isotope in the Martian atmosphere with the formation of an oxygen-rich atmosphere and water-soaked soil. All the findings until the landing of the spacecraft testified that in the past the atmosphere was 100 times thicker and richer than it is today. From this they concluded that the atmospheric pressure in the past was 100 millibars, enough to allow the presence of water in a liquid phase. Mars is a kind of planet in an intermediate position between the Earth and the Moon.
The red color of the soil is of the top layer only. The rusting (from the word rust) of Mars is a process that ended in the past, unlike the rusting of the Earth that continues even today. Under the surface the color is dark gray. The color is uneven. In the photographs you can see their rocks in six different colors. Some look like volcanic rock.
July 27 - Photographs taken today showed that the color of the sky was orange-pink and re-examination of the atmosphere again showed the presence of nitrogen at a rate of 3%.
July 28 - Another attempt was made to repair the seismometer, but it was also unsuccessful. It was estimated that on the surface of Mars are all the conditions for the formation of life as they are known on Earth. The first of three planned soil sampling operations was held today. The operation lasted four hours. The lander's cameras filmed every action of the arm to ensure everything was done right. In the first picture that came with the end of the operation, they saw a small trench in the ground and part of the arm. This is the trench dug by the arm. An initial impression from the appearance of the trench was that the Martian sand looked like sand near the seashore on Earth. It seems as if the canal was dug in moist sand on the seashore. First results of the experiment will be published on July 30 and final on August 9. This experiment should be performed three times to verify the results.
July 29 - The examination of new photographs taken today showed that the walls of the canal did not collapse and based on this it was hypothesized that the ground was solid or moist. It turned out that one of the samples was not put into one of the GCMS cells to test for the presence of organic compounds on the surface of Mars. It was not clear why this action was not carried out. It was feared that this attempt would be delayed a week or more.
July 31 - The first analysis of the soil sample showed that it contains iron, calcium, iron, titanium, aluminum and smaller amounts of rubidium, strontium, zinc and potassium. These findings matched the geologists' hypotheses that Mars was more active than the Moon, but less active than Earth. Only the top layer of the soil is red and it is very thin.
The amounts of gases and in particular oxygen emitted from the samples were greater than expected. This evidence can indicate the presence of life on Mars. The emission of radioactive carbon strengthened this evidence. If there is microbial life at least on Mars, it is probably more developed and vigorous than those on Earth. Parallel experiments conducted on terrestrial microscopic creatures released smaller amounts of the radioactive carbon as a result of their fatigue for longer periods of time.
The large amount of oxygen was explained by photosynthetic activity. The biologists tried to be more careful and suggested that the source of the oxygen and radioactive carbon could also be from inorganic sources. It is possible that the source of the oxygen is in the soil of Mars itself where it is trapped in the form of carbon-saturated water or that it is the product of chemical processes identical to those created by living organisms. If the source of these gases is a non-biological process, another theory must be found to explain the formation of life.
To verify if the results really indicate life, the sample must be sterilized and the living organisms destroyed if any are present. If later gas is not detected in a significant amount, the conclusion that will be asked is that the gas in this sample originates from the digestion process of microscopic organisms and not from the sample itself. There was concern that the sterilization process might thwart any non-biological chemical process and the results of the experiment would not be able to prove unequivocally whether or not there is life on Mars. On August 3, a sample will be inserted into the GCMS cell, an operation that was not carried out on July 29.
On August 1 - it turned out that the amount of oxygen obtained from the sample was 15 times greater than expected. If life is discovered on the surface of Mars, the discovery could cause a philosophical upheaval.
August 2 - The sunrise and sunset were photographed in color and a biological experiment was conducted.
August 3 - The continuation of the biological experiments with the aim of explaining the high emission of oxygen and radioactive carbon. The arm must collect another sample and test it. As planned, the GCMS test should be completed and additional analysis performed on the rest of the cells. The arm took a patch of soil near the place from where the previous sample was taken, the sample must be ground and baked until the gases are released. Today the amount of gases emitted has stabilized.
August 4 - once again a problem with the arm. Before she could pour the substance into the cells, she was stopped and they tried to fix her. Meanwhile, other experiments continued. Today the emission of gases has stopped completely. The tendency to see the emission of gases as a biological process is decreasing. This emission may have resulted from a chemical process in which the sunlight released oxygen from the cracked "rusty" soil, and it was this oxygen that broke down the food dipped in the sample into its components.
August 5 - Concern arose about the fate of the experiments on soil samples. On August 6, the arm will be inspected by the lander's cameras. If the fault originates in the computer, the arm can be operated by parallel systems. If the motor malfunctions, the arm is permanently disabled. Success in retesting the sample in the laboratory on August 6 will reduce the extent of the damage caused to the pins of the arm. The results of the experiment are received on August 7.
Biologists pointed out today that even if there are living organisms on Mars, it is very possible that their reaction will be slow. Following the photographs that were broadcast to Israel, the assumption that the eternal frost is under the ground was strengthened. Dr. Thomas Matz from the team of geologists said that the data of the panoramic photograph can be compared to those existing in Antarctica. Speaking about the rocks scattered at the landing site, he said that these are made of two types - lumps such as those discovered on the moon and probably originating from a meteorite impact and the other type of basalt. In the meantime, an order was given to take a picture of the arm to check it.
6.8 – Re-examination of the sample. They couldn't free the arm.
7.8 - The results of the examination of the sample indicated again the possibility of the existence of life on the surface of Mars. After "swallowing" the food, the emission of gases resumed. An assimilation experiment that began on August 2 ended today and it turned out that its results are similar to the findings obtained by testing samples from deserts in the South Pole of the Earth. Regevs that contain a small but very resistant amount of microscopic organisms and vegetation. With the sterilization of the sample, another experiment will be conducted that will end on August 23. They still haven't been able to free the arm. If you fail to release it, you must continue to work on the same sample.
August 8 - by signals sent to the lander, the arm shook several times until they managed to free it and move it freely. It was believed that the source of the malfunction was the intense cold that prevailed on Mars early in the morning, on August 3, when the second sample was taken. It was decided that the next excavations would only take place in the afternoon when the temperature reaches its peak. The next dig was planned for August 11. This time a sample will be taken from a greater depth, below the red soil layer.
Recent data from the biological experiments testified to a photosynthetic process. The CO2 turned into oxygen and in another experiment CO2 typical of microorganisms was emitted. Despite reservations for fear that these are chemical processes, some have claimed that at least microorganisms exist on the surface of Mars.
August 9 - continuation of the biological experiments.
On August 10 - the atmospheric pressure at the landing site gradually fell from 7.69 millibars to 7.51 millibars. The CO2 atmosphere freezes at the pole and covers the ground.
On August 11 - the sample that was collected by the landing arm on the 3rd of the month and since then remained in the excavation head due to a malfunction, was put into the research cells today. The cameras filmed fog today. The photographs show fogs covering low areas as they "settle" at the bottom of craters and in ancient, dry channels. The fogs reinforced the assumption that water exists on the ground in the form of frozen ground at night and evaporates during the day. The mists were also photographed by the Mikapet. A photograph of a small area taken immediately after sunrise showed that this place was free of fog. Half an hour later, bright spots of fog were visible at the bottom of the craters and river channels of this area. Similar groups of nebulae are seen in previous images of the spacecraft as it approached Mars. The presence of the nebulae is important for animals, if there are any on Mars, trying to live on the planet's soil.
August 12 - Analyzes of the soil.
August 13 - It was announced that an attempt will be made to photograph the earth with the cameras of this orbit in order to give man a correct perspective of the planet we live on. The photograph will be taken from a distance of 300 million km. The Earth appears in the photograph as a blue point of light. Photographing the moons and continuing the biological tests. The results of the organic analyzes of the soil did not show the presence of organic compounds on Mars.
August 17 - Today the lander started the second phase of the biological research program and in a few days new samples will be observed.
August 21 - The samples that were in the lab were sterilized and once again gases were emitted from them, although in a very small amount. The results of this experiment embarrassed the biologists because they made it difficult to make the decision whether or not there is life on Mars.
August 22- the arm took samples again and put them in the research cells. At the end of this operation, a biological test of them was started. When Viking B lands on Mars, Viking A will carry out discontinuous studies in periods of time between one experiment and another.
August 23 - the landing of the attraction in the biological research.
August 24 - The lander continued biological research and the dashcam photographed the Martian moons in black and white and in color. So far, no organic molecules have been found in the samples.
August 25 - today the information broadcast to Israel was accompanied by loud noises from space. Deciphering the information was not easy since it was difficult to separate it from the noise. Only later did they manage to overcome the problem. This information deepened the dispute between biologists and chemists. The biologists interpreted the new data as proof of the existence of microscopic life forms on the surface of Mars, while the chemists argued that the necessary conclusion is the opposite.
And again the bowl was turned upside down in the biological direction. From the summary of the data broadcast to Israel today from the three research cells, the chances of finding life on Mars increase. The last experiment was a test experiment and it was done on a sample that showed in a previous test that it is able to contain organisms similar to those that exist in Antarctica. In this experiment the sample was sterile and almost no oxygen emission was recorded. Dr. Horowitz said that if the test had been conducted on a nationwide sample, the results would have indicated a faint but unequivocal presence of life. But do not be hasty in drawing conclusions since Mars is very different from Earth.
August 30 - The arm collected another sample to be X-rayed.
September 1 - In the new sample there is a non-stop activity of gases, especially CO2. The activity of the lander was partially reduced.
September 4 – As the Viking B spacecraft began transmitting the lander's transmissions to Earth, the Viking A spacecraft began a nine-day journey around Mars and was eventually positioned over the Viking B landing site. The Viking B spacecraft is now off on its own journey with its 75 degree inclination angle to check more northern latitudes.
September 15 - Two photographs of giant volcanoes twice as tall as terrestrial volcanoes were studied. According to geologists, these photographs are a breakthrough in the recognition of events that occurred a million years ago.
October 19- The Mekapet set off on a new journey around Mars.
November 7 - The lander activity was stopped in preparation for blocking contact that began on November 10 when the sun is between the Earth and Mars. The blocking of the connection ends in mid-December and the experiments begin again in early January 1977.
