'Big Joe', Viking 1 Mission to Mars, 1976. 'Big Joe', a dark rock on the planet surface, about 2 metres (6.6 feet) long, seen here about 8 meters (26 feet) from the Viking 1 Lander spacecraft. The rock may be part of the rim of an ancient degraded crater. Viking 1, part of NASA's Viking programme, was the first spacecraft to land successfully on Mars and perform its mission. It sent images of the Martian surface back to Earth.