Publication Date:
2019-07-13
Description:
The orbiter system of the Viking spacecraft performs the functions of transporting the lander into orbit around Mars, surveying the proposed landing sites, relaying lander data to earth, and conducting independent scientific observations of Mars. The orbiter system is a semiautomatic, solar-powered, triaxially stabilized platform capable of making trajectory corrections and communicating with earth on S-band. Its instruments for visual imaging, detecting water vapor, and thermal mapping are mounted on a separate two-degree-of-freedom scan platform. Radio science is conducted at three frequencies, using the main S-band system, a separate X-band derived from the S-band, and the UHF one-way link with the lander.
Keywords:
LAUNCH VEHICLES AND SPACE VEHICLES
Type:
Technology today for tomorrow; Twelfth Space Congress; Apr 09, 1975 - Apr 11, 1975; Cocoa Beach, FL
Format:
text
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