Celebrating Viking: The First U.S. Landing on Another Planet

Hosted by

Organized in conjunction with the Congressional Planetary Science Caucus

On July 20, 1976, NASA's Viking 1 touched down on the surface of Mars, becoming the first U.S. spacecraft to successfully land and operate on another planet. Fifty years later, the United States remains the undisputed leader in Mars exploration, with a legacy of orbiters, landers, and rovers that have transformed our understanding of the Red Planet.

Join The Planetary Society, Johns Hopkins University, the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, and SpaceNews to mark this milestone. Hear from the engineers and scientists who made Project Viking possible, and look ahead to the future crewed and robotic missions that will define the future of Mars exploration.

This event takes place in the Capitol Complex and is free and open to the public. All attendees must pass through Capitol security screening, so plan to arrive at least 15 minutes early. More details and useful tips will be sent prior to the event. For this reason, registration is strongly encouraged.