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This lander body, can be identified as the "Flight" lander body #3 by the "FC3" designation on its tag, by ID numbers, and by notes on body such as "remove before sterilization" at various places. The Viking program included three complete Viking Flight Systems, A, B, and C, the later to be the ``Flight Spare'' system. Two other sets of Lander bodies were built, but these were not ``Flight Quality''. (The Lander in the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Washington, D.C., is the Science Test Bed lander.) Management decided not to complete Flight Lander C, the ``Flight Spare'' to save 20 to $ 40 million, leaving FC3 in this stage of construction and checkout.
Prior to the launch of the first Viking Spacecraft, there was a problem with an attitude control jet. While this minor problem was being fixed, the Orbiter's batteries were discharged. This caused the removal of the complete Viking A spacecraft and its replacement by the B spacecraft. Had the Viking "C" spacecraft been completed, including this FC3 lander, it would be at the Viking Lander 1 site!
This lander body was acquired in response to his daughter Rachel request, when Jim Tillman found it was on a surplus list. Its alternate fate was to be sold, probably for scrap metal.
Display version at lander_body.html