Abstract

Viking is a United States project to send two unmanned missions to Mars in the summer of 1975. The objective of these missions is to significantly advance the knowledge of Mars in the areas of biology, planetology, and atmospheric physics by direct measurements. The spacecraft will be placed in orbit about the planet, and after an appropriate site certification, the lander will be separated and softlanded on the surface. The landers will conduct scientific investigations on the surface for several months. To satisfy the COSPAR Planetary Quarantine requirement and the Project-imposed requirement to protect the Viking Lander Biology Investigation from terrestrial contamination, the decision was made to use dry-heat sterilization. The problems attendant on providing flight-qualified equipment capable of withstanding the sterilization environment ranged from electronic part selection to those of conflicting mission objectives and system requirements. Several of the more challenging problems and their solution, which illustrate the span of activity, are discussed.