The Viking retarding potential analyzer (RPA) flow to Mars in 1976 had negative retarding potential sweeps in addition to the positive ion sweeps. An analysis of the electron mode sweeps made in Viking 1 above the ionosphere is presented here. A spectrum covering the range 0 to -78 V was recorded in 1 s, and electron observations were made at intervals of 4 or 8 s. The derived electron concentrations and temperatures in the solar wind are lower than the generally accepted values, but the maximum electron pressures derived above the ionosphere are about as high as can be expected for generally accepted solar wind values. Except in the highly variable or turbulent region from about 2500 km down to 500 km, the scans show a high degree of consistency from scan to scan. The initial concentrations near 15,000 km were slightly less than 1 cm-3 characterized by a temperature of about 40,000 K, plus what is interpreted as a backstreaming component from the planetary shock of about 0.1 cm-3 at about 250,000 K. The shock appeared to be quasi-parallel, as there was no evidence of a sharp transition anywhere near the expected shock position; it appears that the shock transition region extended from about 3500 down to 850 km. The hottest region was near 850 km, where there is clear evidence of an electron component too hot for the RPA to measure; it produced abundant secondary emission and is assumed to be characterized by energies of about 200 eV so as to be efficient in the production of secondaries. The electron concentrations there averaged about 30 cm-3. ¿ American Geophysical Union 1991