On this day in space! Aug. 7, 1980: NASA's Viking 1 Mars orbiter shuts down 4 years into a 90-day mission

On Aug. 7, 1980, NASA’s Viking 1 orbiter shut down after four years of exploring Mars. Launched in 1975, the mission lasted far beyond its planned 90-day life. It captured thousands of photos and helped scientists map the planet. This historic mission proved that spacecraft could successfully land on the Red Planet.