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Mars and the History of Antacids

Posted by michael on from the fizz-fizz dept.

An anonymous reader writes "NASA's retrospective today on the 1976 Mars Viking mission describes the first probe to orbit another planet, and the first biology experiments based on soil sampling. Program managers maintained a dynamic 'worry list', which included a 1970's computer that opened like a wireframe book. The all-important biology experiments could not be tested prior to launch, then lightning struck the probe components (at Kennedy's Explosive Safe Area Building)."

2 of 58 comments (clear)

  1. Why the Viking mission was accepted by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    NASA managers found a way to convince the goverment to fund this mission: they told Bush that the martians are developing weapons of mass destruction. They have reliable intelligence: a complete report from secret agent Herbert G. Wells.

  2. Check out the babe testing that computer by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    Thankfully, hairdos miniaturized along with the computers.