“Landing, we have touchdown!” At 5:12 a.m. PDT on July 20, 1976, mission controllers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory erupted in cheers upon learning that the Viking 1 lander had survived its descent through the thin Martian atmosphere. Forty minutes later, the first image of the lander began to appear on their monitors, slowly forming
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Fifty years ago, NASA’s Viking 1 and 2 landers made the first successful landings on Mars, opening a new era in planetary exploration. Behind that achievement was a team at NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, whose consistent leadership and technical expertise helped turn an ambitious idea into a mission that reshaped the way
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Receive the daily Popular Science newsletter💡 Breakthroughs, discoveries and DIY tips delivered six days a week. By registering, you confirm that you are 16 years of age or older, you will receive newsletters and promotional content, you agree to our Terms of Use, and you acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You can
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Seattle, Washington, sometimes known as the “Emerald City,” sparkled in the morning sunlight when an astronaut aboard the International Space Station took this photo on June 16, 2026. The city’s parks and tree-filled neighborhoods give the metropolis a lush, green look, while tall downtown buildings cast long shadows and boats cruise the surrounding canals. The
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In the face of SpaceX’s historic IPO, the comments from skeptics were strong. Some criticized the company’s initial valuation as too high. Others opposed what they considered fantastic ideas that would take decades to realize. Another popular narrative was that retail investors, who were granted a larger share of shares than usual, would be left
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