NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Thirty years ago, on July 20, 1976, NASA's Viking 1 became the first spacecraft to land on Mars and send back detailed pictures of the surface. Two months later, its twin, Viking 2, landed. The Vikings paved the way for NASA's robust Mars exploration program. NASA currently has five spacecraft at Mars: three orbiters – Mars Global Surveyor, Mars Odyssey and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, and two rovers - Spirit and Opportunity. In addition, the European Space Agency has its orbiter, Mars Express.

NASA Langley Research Center managed the program, and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory's role included managing the science mission. More Viking information is at www.nasa.gov/viking . Information on NASA's Mars program is at www.nasa.gov/mars .

CUT 1 – FOR PRODUCTION PURPOSES: NATURAL SOUND OF THE CONTROL ROOM WHEN VIKING 1 LANDED SAFELY ON MARS ON JULY 20, 1976.
Running time: :20
OUT: "LOOKING GOOD"
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Transcript of CUT 1: "We're coming down, straight down. Nav is green for touchdown. ACS is green 1.5 degrees per second max. Point 2 g’s. Touchdown, we have touchdown. (cheers and applause) We have touchdown. We're looking good."

CUT 2 – VIKING MISSION PLANNING DIRECTOR GENTRY LEE OF JPL REMEMBERS THE TENSION, EXCITEMENT AND INTENSE EMOTION OF LANDING DAY.
Running time: :09
OUT: "ANOTHER PLANET"
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Transcript of CUT 2: "How do you possibly describe the first photograph that a human being has ever seen from the surface of another planet?"

CUT 3 – JPL CHIEF SCIENTIST DR. DAN MCCLEESE EXPLAINS WHAT SCIENTISTS HAVE LEARNED ABOUT MARS DURING THE 30 YEARS OF MARS MISSIONS THAT BEGAN WITH VIKING.
Running time: :27
OUT: "A HABITABLE PLANET"
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Transcript of CUT 3: "We’ve discovered that ancient Mars had regions which we call habitable, which means places where life might have begun. But even if it was never there, we believe that we have a second planet in the solar system, the first being Earth, where life might have developed. And I think that the fundamental new information about the planet is our conviction that it's a habitable planet."

+ Related podcast: Mars -- 30 Years After Viking