Viking 1's 50th anniversary: Mars life debate remains unresolved

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On Episode 220 of This Week In Space , Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik are joined by Dr. Pascal Lee and astrobiologist Dr. Penny Boston to mark the 50th anniversary of Viking 1's landing on Mars.

This week, we cover how Starship Flight 13 finally prepares to launch amid a legal battle over SpaceX's proposed land swap at Starbase, plus a Chinese Long March 3B rocket gets struck by lightning during liftoff, yet still delivers its satellite safely.

Then, we revisit the Viking 1 mission's groundbreaking life-detection experiments and the decades-long controversy over what they actually found. The conversation traces Mars exploration from the earliest Mariner flybys through Viking's ambiguous, still-debated results — later explained by perchlorates in the Martian soil — and the fierce scientific rivalry the findings sparked. Join us!

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Space news of the week

SpaceX will now try to launch critical Starship Flight 13 test today after delays. Here's what to expect.

'The court has to intervene now': Indigenous groups and conservationists condemn SpaceX's South Texas land swap

Lightning strike on Chinese rocket captured in epic launch photo

‘Triumph of Mariner 4’

Slice of History - 50 Years of Mariner 9 in Orbit

Viking Lander

Life on Mars detected ?... Viking 1...

Viking lander biological experiments

Model Falcon 9!

TOP TELESCOPE PICK:

(Image credit: Celestron) Looking for a telescope to see planets and comets? We recommend the Celestron Astro Fi 102 as the top pick in our best beginner's telescope guide .

Finally, did you know you can launch your own SpaceX rocket? Model rocket maker Estes' stunning scale model of a Falcon 9 rocket that you can pick up now. The launchable model is a detailed recreation of the Falcon 9 and retails for $149.99. You can save 10% by using the code IN-COLLECTSPACE at checkout , courtesy of our partners collectSPACE.com.

About This Week In Space

This Week in Space covers the new space age. Every Friday we take a deep dive into a fascinating topic. What's happening with the new race to the moon and other planets? When will SpaceX really send people to Mars?

Join Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik from Space.com as they tackle those questions and more each week on Friday afternoons. You can subscribe today on your favorite podcatcher.