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SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/aero-viking1-mars-landing

What was the first U.S. mission to land safely on Mars?

Viking 1, on July 20, 1976.

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  1. Viking 1 ✔
  2. Mariner 4
  3. Pathfinder

Why: Viking 1 set down safely on Mars on July 20, 1976. It was the first U.S. spacecraft to land on the Red Planet.

Huh, didn't know that: Viking 1 landed exactly seven years to the day after Apollo 11 landed on the Moon.

The dad joke
How do you throw a party on Mars? You planet.
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References

Answer: Viking 1. Viking 1 set down safely on Mars on July 20, 1976. It was the first U.S. spacecraft to land on the Red Planet.

  1. NASA Science, Viking science.nasa.gov/mission/viking
    the first U.S. mission to land a spacecraft safely on the surface of Mars
    Checked 2026-10-10.

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