Pictures sent back from the Viking orbiters until 1982 offered no definitive answer.
从维京轨道器传回的照片直到1982年都没有给出确切的答案。
美国历史频道纪录片《宇宙》
But while the Viking lander toiled the way underground failing to make headlines, high above the Martian surface the Viking orbiter managed to capture a mystifying image.
The photo taken of the Cydonia region of the red planet by the Viking 1 Orbiter revealed the existence of a two kilometer long humanoid face that seemed to stare upwards.
The Viking program consisted of a pair of American space probes sent to Mars, Viking 1 and Viking 2. Each spacecraft was composed of two main parts: an orbiter designed to photograph the surface of Mars from orbit, and a lander designed to study the planet from the surface. The orbiters also served as communication relays for the landers once they touched down.