This Viking Flight Capsule #3, FC3 Lander restoration and display activity is a component of the Live from Earth and Mars - Science, Technology, Education Partnerships, <A HREF="http://www.atmos.washington.edu/ mars/exec_head.html"> <B><I>LFEM - STEP </I></B></A> program, a collaboration with NorthWest, Finnish, and European partners. Among its components are:
The <A HREF="http://www-k12.atmos.washington.edu/k12/"> <B><I>Live From Earth and Mars</I></B></A>, LFEM, program was initiated by Research Professor of Atmospheric Sciences Jim Tillman and provides some of the background for LFEM - STEP. He led the <A HREF="http://www-k12.atmos.washington.edu/k12/resources/mars_data-information/mars_overview.html"><B><I>Mars component</I></B></A> of this three year, $ 900,000 program, that <B>presented Pathfinder Temperature data directly from Mars</B> to the public, including at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Washington, D.C., compared them with Viking data at the same season day by day, and provided Mars background information.
<A HREF="../Lander-display-photo-page_image001.jpg" align ="left"> <IMG SRC=../Lander-display-photo-page_image002.jpg =left></A>
Photo courtesy of James G Tillman
This photo shows the Viking FC3 Lander exhibit on the second Floor of the Electrical Engineering Department of the University of Washington. Cancelling the assembly of this "Flight Spare" lander left it in this state without its instruments and system components; FC3 does not have the white paint of Landers 1 and 2 on Mars. The top of the lander is covered by translucent plastic held in place by the red border while the camera and other instrument ports are covered by clear plastic. The more complete Science Test Bed lander in the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Washington, D.C. can be seen in the 30 by 40 inch exhibit photo, courtesy of former VCF employee Bill Guest, in the exhibit area. The gold colored cylinder in the foreground is a model of the entry retro rocket engine which has 18 nozzles rather than one, to keep its plume from sterilizing the soil which was analyzed by the biology and chemistry experiments.
The S-Band antenna is bolted to the rear of the FC3 body while the Meteorology boom, painted with its white second layer of silicon rubber paint, is mounted on the lander's rear edge in the photo. On the boom is an excellent model of the Meteorology Sensor Assembly, MSA, created by Chris Vancil.