The Viking Spacecraft Operations Handbook covers all aspects of Viking spacecraft operations. It includes operating information for ground data systems, orbiter systems, telecommunications, and on subsystems for the lander, guidance, control, power, computer commands, propulsion and pyros. Also included are descriptions of operations and interfaces for the visual imaging system, Mars Atmospheric Water Detector (MAWD), and the infrared thermal mapper. Developed by Martin Marietta Corporation, the operations handbook is a single source of technically authoritative Viking hardware and software information, compiled for specific use by the Viking Flight Team (VFT) both before and during the Viking mission. The system and subsystem technical data in the handbook are at an intermediate level of detail, somewhere between manuals and detailed drawings, specifications and test data. The original version of the handbook was approved by A. Thomas Young, in his capacities as Mission Director and Viking Flight Team Science Analysis and Mission Planning Director, on April 17, 1975. There were a total of five revisions, A-E, to various portions of the handbook during the period from April 17, 1975 to August 3, 1976. Revision A, which was issued July 3, 1975, contained major changes to Volume 2, Section 3.8, the Viking Orbiter Thermal Control. Revision B was issued November 13, 1975, and affected principally Volume 1, Section 3.3.3, where new information on Viking Orbiter X-Band Navigation and Radio Science was incorporated. Revision C, issued on February 5, 1976 made extensive changes to sections on Ground Data Systems, Spacecraft Overviews, Viking Orbiter Systems, Block Diagram, and to sections describing subsystems for Commands, Data Handling, Telemetry, Data Storage, Contingency Procedures, S-Band, and Flight Data. Revision D, issued March 15, 1976, which did not make significant changes, replaced pages that were not released on a "back-to-back printing" basis in Revision C. Revision E, issued August 3, 1976, incorporated SCR No. 049, and corrected typographical errors in Volumes 1 and 4. A three-page Change Log and four pages of Document Revision Notices, listing all the pages affected in each revision, are located in Folder 34. The collection consists of two disassembled, four-volume, loose-leaf sets of the Viking Spacecraft Operations Handbook in various states of revision. The set with the oldest revisions precedes the set with the more recent revisions. The arrangement and revision status of both sets is as follows: First Set: Vol. 1, Rev. A -- Vol. 2, Rev. A -- Vol. 3, Rev. D -- Vol. 4, Rev. D. Second Set: Vol. 1, Rev. E, Vol. 2, Rev. D, Vol. 3, Rev. D, Vol. 4, Rev. E. Some of the documents contain at least one identifying number, usually a Viking Orbiter Data Index number. These are usually written in pencil on the first page of each document. The Archives has a nine-volume printout of Viking documents listed by Data Index number. The listing of index numbers, although in ascending sequential order, is discontinuous. Number series are repeated several times throughout the index.
