Celebrating 50 Years on the Red Planet.

To say that the Viking mission to Mars captivated my attention as a young boy would be an understatement. July 20th marks exactly 50 years since the United States landed a spacecraft on another planet. It was the very first successful emissary from Earth to operate on the surface of Mars.

As I’ve mentioned before, I grew up at a time when science fiction was just starting to become reality. After being enthralled by stories of explorers on the Moon and Mars, we finally had a chance to see the Red Planet for real!

Today, we routinely land truck-sized rovers using rocket-powered sky cranes, but Viking laid the groundwork for all of it. I have a particular nostalgia for these first landers, and a huge admiration for the engineers who accomplished the impossible back in the 1970s.

These machines didn’t just land; they were packed with scientific instruments that took stereoscopic photos, sampled the soil for signs of life, recorded the weather, and measured Mars quakes. They were equipped with radioactive thermal electric generators to survive the frigid conditions, and they possessed an unprecedented level of machine autonomy—using their own wits, radar altimeters, and rocket engines to land safely without any real-time assistance from Earth.

I also have enormous respect for their foresight regarding planetary protection. To ensure we didn’t contaminate the Martian environment with Earth microbes, engineers baked both spacecraft in massive ovens for 40 hours. I can only imagine how incredibly difficult it was to ensure the cables and components wouldn't melt in those extreme conditions!

Fun fact: The first landing was originally scheduled for July 4th to coincide with the 200th anniversary of the United States (which is why both landers feature the Bicentennial logo next to the US flag). However, a last-minute scramble to find a safer landing spot delayed touchdown until July 20th.

I am part of a community that holds a special fondness for these early explorers. Every day, I am reminded of this incredible adventure by the bronze belt buckle I wear, which was designed to commemorate the mission and distributed to the original JPL engineering team.

Because of this lifelong passion, I am thrilled to share an exclusive update with you. In celebration of these remarkable robot emissaries, Bracken Observatory has partnered with Viking expert Tom Dahl to commission a highly authentic, museum-quality replica model of the original Viking lander. We are currently wrapping up the initial design phase, and you—our observatory community—will be the very first to get exclusive previews of this project as it comes to life later this year.

In the meantime, let's celebrate this incredible milestone!

To honor the 50th anniversary, we've curated a special collection of Mars-themed gear at the Bracken Observatory gift shop.

Whether you want a commemorative poster, a Mars mug, or a Mars-themed book or DVD, we’ve got you covered.

Happy Viking Mars Anniversary Day!