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This lander body, is identified as the "Flight" lander body #3 by the "FC3" designation on its tag, by ID numbers, and by notes on body such as "remove before sterilization" at various places. The Viking program included three complete Viking Flight Systems, A, B, and C, the later was to be the ``Flight Spare'' system. Two other sets of Lander bodies were built, but these were not ``Flight Quality''. (The Lander in the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Washington, D.C., is the Science Test Bed STB, lander.) To save 20 to $ 40 million, management decided not to complete Flight Lander C, the ``Flight Spare'' leaving the FC3 body in this stage of construction and checkout.
Prior to the launch of the first Viking Spacecraft, there was a problem with an attitude control jet. While this minor problem was being fixed, the Orbiter's batteries were discharged. This caused the removal of the complete Viking A spacecraft assembly including lander, orbiter and inter-planetary propulsion and its replacement by the B spacecraft. Had the Viking "C" spacecraft been completed, including this FC3 lander, it would be at the Viking Lander 1 site on Mars!
This lander body was acquired by Jim Tillman in response to his daughter Rachel's request to acquire it for educational purposes. When found, it was on a surplus list and would otherwise have been sold as scrap metal.