From Hampton to Mars: How NASA Langley Helped Land on the Red Planet

Fifty years after the historic July 20, 1976, landing of Viking 1, NASA continues to explore the Red Planet's skies. The Viking 1 and 2 landers initiated a new era of planetary exploration through successful landings on Mars. This achievement was driven by the technical expertise and leadership of the team at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, who transformed an ambitious concept into a mission that fundamentally reshaped scientific understanding of the planet.