The first space probes to land on Mars were called the:
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Mariner 9 and 10
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Viking 1 and 2
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Voyager 5 and 6
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Viking 2 and 4
Reveal answer
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B
Correct answer
Explanation
Viking 1 and Viking 2 were the first spacecraft to successfully land on Mars and perform their missions, landing in 1976. They conducted biological experiments to search for signs of life. Mariner 9 was an orbiter, not a lander, and Voyager spacecraft were sent to study outer planets, not Mars.
AI explanation
NASA's Viking 1 and Viking 2 missions, launched in 1975 and arriving in 1976, were the first spacecraft to successfully land on Mars and transmit data back to Earth. Mariner probes had earlier only flown by or orbited Mars without landing, and there was no Voyager mission to Mars (the Voyager probes explored the outer planets).