Space.com #Viking on Mars, 40 Years Later: Reflections on Pioneering the Red Planet 20 July 2016 fborgosano Leave a comment Share: Forty years ago today (July 20), NASA’s Viking 1 Mars lander became the first American spacecraft to touch down safely on the Red Planet. It was a huge moment for space exploration, and the hunt for life beyond Earth. from Space.com ift.tt/2atyiqk Share: