This Flash is playing the movie: 'Viking Overview', synopsis: '(2001) Tom Young and the late, great Jim Martin look back on an amazing mission. (The 2007 Smart Lander is now the 2009 Mars Science Lab.)'
BOWEN, FRED
Fred Bowen recalls the blunt, eccentric and brilliant scientists and engineers who made Viking a life-changing mission.

The Brightest Minds

Fred Bowen

BOYER, BILL
Bill Boyer remembers speculation stories before landing.

Furry Animals on Mars

Bill Boyer

Viking team members recall thirty years ago, when the Viking mission arrived at Mars, giving us the first view from the surface of the red planet.

Mars Viking Trailblazer

Gentry Lee, Bob Tolson, Bill Boyer & Rich Zurek

BUNKER, BOB
Bob Bunker shares the challenges of finding stars to navigate to Mars.

Viking and the Second Brightest Star

Bob Bunker

BUTTERFIELD, ANSEL
Ansel Butterfield explains why spacecraft parts must be so rugged.

Bake Your TV

Ansel Butterfield

CHRISTENSEN, PHIL
(2001) Tom Young and the late, great Jim Martin look back on an amazing mission.  (The 2007 Smart Lander is now the 2009 Mars Science Lab.)

Viking Overview

Tom Young, Jim Martin, et al.

COCHRAN, JIM
Jim Cochran talks about how the mission hinged on a stubborn robotic arm pin.

Waiting for the Pin to Drop

Jim Cochran

CRABILL, NORM
Norm Crabill remembers how Viking navigated to Mars like never before.

We Broke the Mold

Norm Crabill

CRABTREE, BOB
Bob Crabtree describes how early space program failures actually helped facilitate the success of Viking.

Lessons from Ranger

Bob Crabtree

DOMS, PETER
Peters Doms excitedly describes the late-night discovery of tremendous amounts of water vapor at Mars.

Doms' Delight

Peter Doms

FARMER, BARNEY
Barney Farmer remembers the genius of Gerry Soffen.

Viking Celebrities

Barney Farmer

GIANOPULOS, GEORGE
George Gianopulos was under the gun to make speedy building expansions for the massive Viking team.

On the Top 10 Problem List

George Gianopulos

GRAF, JIM
(2001) Tom Young and the late, great Jim Martin look back on an amazing mission.  (The 2007 Smart Lander is now the 2009 Mars Science Lab.)

Viking Overview

Tom Young, Jim Martin, et al.

GREEN, BILL
Bill Green recollects the controversy over the real color of the martian sky.

Blue Sky

Bill Green

GUASTAFERRO, GUS
Gus Guastaferro shares how Viking turned the team into visionaries.

Visionaries of Viking

Gus Guastaferro

HARRIS TROSPER, JENNIFER
(2001) Tom Young and the late, great Jim Martin look back on an amazing mission.  (The 2007 Smart Lander is now the 2009 Mars Science Lab.)

Viking Overview

Tom Young, Jim Martin, et al.

HINNERS, NOEL
Noel Hinners shares his recipe for a successful exploration program.

The Right Ingredients

Noel Hinners

JAN, DARRELL
Darrell Jan talks about the flunky life of a Viking intern

Mars Flunkies

Darrell Jan

KIEFFER, HUGH
Hugh Kieffer fondly remembers driving engineers crazy with fake instrument problems during Viking dress rehearsals.

No More Discoveries!

Hugh Kieffer

KOUKOL, ROBERT
Robert Koukol explains NASA's rigorous planetary protection precautions.

Planetary Protection

Robert Koukol

LEE, GENTRY
Viking team members recall thirty years ago, when the Viking mission arrived at Mars, giving us the first view from the surface of the red planet.

Mars Viking Trailblazer

Gentry Lee, Bob Tolson, Bill Boyer & Rich Zurek

MACK, IRIS
Iris Mack recalls how she got to Mars.

Who Wants To Go To Mars?

Iris Mack

MARSH, TOM
Tom Marsh put in 99 hours of overtime with his team to solve Martin Marietta's number one problem before launch.

Ninety-nine Hours

Tom Marsh

MARTIN, JIM
(2001) Tom Young and the late, great Jim Martin look back on an amazing mission.  (The 2007 Smart Lander is now the 2009 Mars Science Lab.)

Viking Overview

Tom Young, Jim Martin, et al.

MOTTINGER, NEIL
Neil Mottinger shows how the public?s assumptions of Mars changed as exploration capabilities improved.

Be Careful What You Believe

Neil Mottinger

NAKATA, AL
Al Nakata jokes about his disappointment that no Martians revealed themselves in Viking photos.

No Monsters

Al Nakata

NEWCOMB, JOHN
John Newcomb remembers the surreal moment when Viking Project Manager Jim Martin hung up on the White House.

Call Back Later, Mr. President

John Newcomb

PELENTAY, STEVE
Steve Pelentay recalls the controversy regarding the color of Mars.

How Red is Red?

Steve Pelentay

PLOSZAJ, RON
Ron Ploszaj relives the nightmare of losing the Viking 2 Orbiter signal.

All Heck Broke Loose

Ron Ploszaj

RINDERLE, ED
Ed Rinderle remembers working in a cold bullpen with primitive technology.

Life in the Bullpen

Ed Rinderle

SAMUEL, YVONNE
Jurrie van der Woude and Yvonne Samuel relay the excitement of waiting for the first view of Mars from the surface.

That's An Incredible Picture!

Yvonne Samuel & Jurrie van der Woude

SCHNEIDER, ED
Ed Schneider describes what it was like to go where no one had ever gone before.

Star Trekkers

Ed Schneider

SNYDER, CONWAY
Conway Snyder describes his exceptional path to becoming a nuclear physicist and rocket scientist.

How I Became a Rocket Scientist

Conway Snyder

Conway Snyder talks about the astounding leap in space exploration technology from the 1970s to present day.

Unthinkable

Conway Snyder

TABACK, ISREAL
Israel Taback would do it all again.

Working 24-hour Days

Israel Taback

THEILIG, EILENE
Eilene Theilig reminisces about the coolest summer job ever.

Instant Community

Eilene Theilig

THOMAS, NICK
Nick Thomas relates the enormous challenge of the Viking mission to the goal of sending humans to Mars.

Humans on Mars

Nick Thomas

THURMAN, SAM
(2001) Tom Young and the late, great Jim Martin look back on an amazing mission.  (The 2007 Smart Lander is now the 2009 Mars Science Lab.)

Viking Overview

Tom Young, Jim Martin, et al.

TOLSON, BOB
Viking team members recall thirty years ago, when the Viking mission arrived at Mars, giving us the first view from the surface of the red planet.

Mars Viking Trailblazer

Gentry Lee, Bob Tolson, Bill Boyer & Rich Zurek

Bob Tolson shares team members' connections with the planets they explore.

Venus and Mars

Bob Tolson

VOTE, FRED
Fred Vote recalls the fun and frustrations of temporary assignment at Cape Canaveral.

Bug Service

Fred Vote

WALL, STEVE
Steve Wall explains Viking's legacy of longevity.

The First Smart Robot

Steve Wall

WELLMAN, JOHN
John Wellman relays the drama of interplanetary decision-making.

Fascinating Theatre

John Wellman

WILSON, BOB K
Bob Wilson explains the challenges of landing on Mars without being able to see anything smaller than a football field on the surface.

Pretty Iffy

Bob K. Wilson

YOUNG, TOM
(2001) Tom Young and the late, great Jim Martin look back on an amazing mission.  (The 2007 Smart Lander is now the 2009 Mars Science Lab.)

Viking Overview

Tom Young, Jim Martin, et al.

ZUREK, RICH
Viking team members recall thirty years ago, when the Viking mission arrived at Mars, giving us the first view from the surface of the red planet.

Mars Viking Trailblazer

Gentry Lee, Bob Tolson, Bill Boyer & Rich Zurek

VAN DER WOUDE, JURRIE
Jurrie van der Woude and Yvonne Samuel relay the excitement of waiting for the first view of Mars from the surface.

That's An Incredible Picture!

Yvonne Samuel & Jurrie van der Woude

MOVIE SYNOPSIS