Editing Viking 2 (section)

===Lander===
[[Image:NASM-A19790215000-NASM2016-02690.jpg|thumb|left|Proof test article of the Viking Mars Lander]]
The lander and its [[aeroshell]] separated from the orbiter on September 3, 1976, at 19:39:59 UT. At the time of separation, the lander was orbiting at about 4&nbsp;km/s. After separation, rockets fired to begin lander [[deorbit]]. After a few hours, at about 300&nbsp;km attitude, the lander was reoriented for entry. The aeroshell with its ablative [[heat shield]] slowed the craft as it plunged through the atmosphere.
[[File:PSP 001501 2280 RED VL-2 lander.png|left|thumb|Photo of the Viking 2 lander taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter in 2006]]
The ''Viking 2'' lander touched down about 200&nbsp;km west of the crater Mie in [[Utopia Planitia]] at {{Coord|48.269|N|225.990|W|globe:mars_type:landmark_dim:100|display=inline,title}} at an altitude of -4.23&nbsp;km relative to a reference ellipsoid with an equatorial radius of 3,397.2&nbsp;km and a [[flattening]] of 0.0105 ({{Coord|47.967|N|225.737|W|globe:mars|name=Viking 2 landing site planetographic}} [[planetographic longitude]]) at 22:58:20 UT (9:49:05&nbsp;a.m. local Mars time).

Approximately {{convert|22|kg|abbr=on}} of propellants were left at landing. Due to radar misidentification of a rock or highly reflective surface, the thrusters fired an extra time 0.4 seconds before landing, cracking the surface and raising dust. The lander settled down with one leg on a rock, tilted at 8.2 degrees. The cameras began taking images immediately after landing.

The ''Viking 2'' lander was powered by radioisotope generators and operated on the surface until its batteries failed on April 12, 1980.

In July 2001, the ''Viking 2'' lander was renamed the '''Gerald Soffen Memorial Station''' after [[Gerald Soffen]] (1926–2000), the project scientist of the ''Viking'' program.<ref name="nasa-solar-system">{{cite web |url=https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/viking-2/in-depth/ |title=In Depth: Viking 2 |website=NASA Science – Solar System Exporation |publisher=[[NASA]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.space.com/17238-mars-rover-curiosity-ray-bradbury-memorial.html |title=Mars Rover Landing Site Named for Sci-Fi Icon Ray Bradbury |date=August 22, 2012 |website=Space.com |last=Malik |first=Tariq}}</ref>