Viking mission support

Abstract

Deep Space Network support for the four Viking spacecraft during October and November 1976 is summarized. The period covers the last portion of the prime mission which officially terminated on 15 November 1976 and the start of the Viking extended mission on that date. November also covered the Mars-Sun-Earth superior conjunction period with the rapid degradation of RF link performance resulting in the tapering off and termination of telemetry data coincident with a rapid increase in radio science experiment activity. The various radio science experiments are described in detail and the computer aided countdown program utilized by the tracking stations during the Viking mission is also described.