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Viking 2 Lander Renamed After Gerald Soffen
posted: 10:08 am ET
20 July 2001
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NASA Administrator, Daniel Goldin, announced July 19 that the Viking 2 Lander has been renamed after the late Gerald Soffen, a lead scientist for the Viking project that made the first successful soft-landings on the red planet in 1976NASA Administrator Daniel Goldin announced Thursday that the Viking 2 Lander has been renamed after the late Gerald Soffen, a lead scientist for the Viking project which made the first successful soft-landings on the Red Planet. Goldin made the proclamation at a symposium held at the National Geographic Society in Washington D.C. celebrating Viking and looking to the future of Mars exploration. Viking 2 touched down in Utopia Planitia on September 3, 1976. The lander operated on the surface for 1,281 Mars days and ceased operation on April 11, 1980. Previously, the Viking 1 Lander was renamed the Thomas Mutch Memorial Station. That dedication in January 1982 honored the leader of the Viking imaging team whom was killed in a mountain climbing accident. The Viking 1 Lander made its touchdown on Mars on July 20, 1976. It operated until November 12, 1982, when a faulty command sent by ground control resulted in loss of contact between the spacecraft and Earth.
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