[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 548 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

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114th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 548

Celebrating the 40th anniversary of the National Aeronautics and Space 
    Administration's Viking Mission Landing on the surface of Mars.


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                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 14, 2016

  Mr. Nelson (for himself, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Thune, Mr. Peters, and Mr. 
  Cruz) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and 
                               agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Celebrating the 40th anniversary of the National Aeronautics and Space 
    Administration's Viking Mission Landing on the surface of Mars.

Whereas Viking 1 launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on August 20, 1975;
Whereas Viking 1 spent nearly a year in space before it landed on the surface of 
        Mars on July 20, 1976, on the western slope of the Chryse Planitia at 
        22.3 degrees north latitude and 48.0 degrees longitude;
Whereas the Viking 1 Lander was the first American spacecraft to land on Mars 
        and the first spacecraft of any nation to successfully land on Mars and 
        perform its mission;
Whereas the United States remains to this day the only nation to successfully 
        land on the surface of Mars and transmit images back to Earth;
Whereas the Viking Mission produced over 4,500 photographs of the surface of 
        Mars, including the first color images of the surface of Mars;
Whereas the Viking Mission produced the first scientific data from the surface 
        of Mars;
Whereas the Viking orbiters mapped 97 percent of the Martian surface;
Whereas the Viking 1 Lander continued its mission for 2,307 days;
Whereas the Viking Mission was NASA's first comprehensive mission to seek 
        evidence that Mars could have the potential to support life, and it 
        discovered that Mars has an environment modified by the interaction with 
        water and complex surface chemistry;
Whereas the Viking Mission revolutionized our scientific understanding of the 
        Red Planet, led to future exploration of Mars and the Solar System, and 
        was one of the first stepping stones for the human exploration of Mars: 
        Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) commends the National Aeronautics and Space 
        Administration and the academic and industry contributors to 
        the Viking Mission for leading the way in the exploration of 
        Mars;
            (2) recognizes the importance of the Viking Mission to the 
        long-term exploration of the solar system by the National 
        Aeronautics and Space Administration and to the search for life 
        beyond Earth;
            (3) encourages the National Aeronautics and Space 
        Administration to continue on the path to landing American 
        astronauts on the surface of Mars; and
            (4) encourages the National Aeronautics and Space 
        Administration and the American scientific community to 
        continue to promote space exploration and scientific discovery 
        across the solar system.
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