Symposium at NASA Ames

July 20, 2026

12:00 PM – 3:00 PM (PDT)

Featuring Viking mission veterans, astrobiologists, and planetary scientists, this symposium examines the mission’s lasting influence on Mars exploration and the search for life beyond Earth. Discussions will connect Viking’s pioneering experiments to current discoveries, future missions, and the scientific questions that continue to shape astrobiology today.

Agenda

12:00  Viking’s 50^th Anniversary Day Intro: A Legacy of Mars Science at Ames

• Premiere: Newly Rediscovered Viking Film – Aaron McKinnon
• Welcome: NASA’s Search for Life Beyond Earth – Eugene Tu

12:20 From Apollo to Viking

Apollo and Viking Scientist Caye Johnson accounts the first ever experiments to answer “Are We Alone”.

12:30  Ben Clark’s Viking Expedition: The Story of NASA’s First Mission to Mars

Viking Scientist Ben Clark shares his firsthand account of NASA’s first mission to land on the surface of Mars.

1:00  Viking’s Living Legacy in Astrobiology

Authors from this issue of Astrobiology’s special collection will host a panel discussion on Viking’s impact on planetary exploration and the advances that have emerged from five decades of astrobiology research.

2:00 The Expansion of Astrobiology

• Tony Colaprete, Director of Science at Ames

• Penny Boston, Senior Advisor – Science Directorate

2:15  Are We Ready to Search for Life Beyond Earth?

NASA scientists from across disciplines discuss perspectives and approaches to NASA’s ongoing search for extraterrestrial life.

2:50  The Next 50 Years of Mars Exploration

NASA Planetary Science Division Director Louise Prockter delivers an address on NASA’s priorities for Mars exploration and the search for life throughout the solar system.

Event contacts: aaron.mckinnon@nasa.gov and marybeth.wilhelm@nasa.gov