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(Henry Spencer) wrote in message ...

In the end, the Titan IIIE Viking orbiter/lander combination massed
3330 kg versus the original 3175 kg for the Voyager orbiter/lander.

And Saturn IB Centaur's payload to Mars was 2700 kg. An overrun of nearly
500 kg is not something that could have been overcome trivially.


According to "On Mars",
("http://history.nasa.gov/SP-4212/contents.html") NASA was
trying to meet a 3,000 kg spacecraft weight limit to fly on
Saturn IB/Centaur. Initial proposals were based on an
assumed 3,175 kg payload limit. Contemporary descriptions
of the launch vehicle (in AW&ST, for example) listed a
7,000 lb (3,175 kg) escape capability.

- Ed Kyle