Viking '75 Mars Lander Low Gain Antenna

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Viking '75 Mars lander S-Band Low Gain Antenna (LGA), which is an omni-directional (upper-hemisphere) receive-only antenna that picked up signals sent from Earth. This allowed the spacecraft to reliably receive signals regardless of how the lander was oriented on the surface of Mars upon landing (assuming right-side up!). The antenna design consists of two superimposed 'turnstile' antennas positioned above a three-wire-grid ground screen reflector. The design and fabrication was done by RCA of Moorestown NJ in the early 1970s. The horizontal coax connector on the lower front of the unit (with a dust-cap screwed in place) is for a test circuit, and thus not connected in the Flight configuration.