Date: Monday, Jul 20, 2026 | 11:00AM to 12:00PM
Location: Air & Space Museum
Categories: Kids Activities, Lecture, Special Events
Join us as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first spacecraft to successfully land on Mars: Viking 1.
On July 20, 1976, this historic lander touched down on the Red Planet and began its mission to search for signs of life. Built in Denver by Martin Marietta, it represented a triumph of space exploration both nationally and locally.
At this special Speakers Panel, you’ll hear from Lockheed Martin experts and participate in science demos! Speakers include*:
- Ben Clark, former Chief Scientist, Lockheed Martin Space
- Jim Crocker, Vice President and General Manager, Lockheed Martin Civil Space, Retired
- Dave Gingerich, Mission Operations Engineer for Deep Space Exploration, Lockheed Martin Space
- Richard Warwick, Senior Manager for Advanced Planetary Group, Lockheed Martin Space
Join us for science activities for all ages that will take place between 10:00 am – 2:00 pm, including:
- Take a Mars “Soil” Sample
- General Relativity Demonstration
- Vacuum Chamber Demonstration
- The Difference in Weight on Mars, Moon, and the Earth
As we continue to explore the Red Planet, there is still so much to learn. Trust us, you don’t want to miss this!
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*Speakers and demos are subject to change.
Photo credit: NASA, Druyan-Sagan Associates, Inc.
Exploration of Flight