Viking Computer Facility use at NASA JPL and UW

<P>After completing science testing at NASA Langley in late 1975, the VCF was moved back to the Department of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Washington. It was used to analyze the test results, incorporate these results into our Meteorology software, and evaluate the updated software. It was then moved to NASA JPL in Pasadena California, where it served <A HREF="http://www.atmos.washington.edu/local-httpdocs/k12/viking_history_npug_84.html#primary_mission_operations"> <B><I> meteorology science analyses and operations</I></B></A>. Our Prime 400 computer produced the first plots of winds, temperatures and presssure from the surface of any planet other than Earth on July 20, 1976. <P> Independent of the Meteorology Science Team's responsibilities, we archived the complete Viking Meteorology results. The team leader considered this was not possible at the time due to the data volume and reliability. However, experience at MIT in the early 60's allowed us to develop operational and maintenance procedures that produced essentially 100% reliable tape archiving. We continued these activities to produce the Meteorology records archived by the NASA Planetary Data Facility and the National Space Science Data Center. Late in 1976, the VCF was then moved back to UW after the end of the Viking nominal "90 day mission" operations in 1976. Until roughly Lander 1 sol 1,000, it primarily supported the Meteorology science team's planning, processing, software development and archiving. Ultimately, it produced the first, and still the only, ``Climate Record from the Surface of Mars''.