Bob Jacobs
Headquarters, Washington, DC            July 20, 2001
(Phone: 202/358-1600)

NOTE TO EDITOR: N01-041

PRESIDENT BUSH MARKS VIKING'S 
SILVER ANNIVERSARY TO THE RED PLANET

     On this date, 25 years ago, NASA's Viking 1 lander did 
something no other space probe had ever done - successfully 
land on another planet. Viking's historic mission to Mars 
changed our understanding of Earth's neighbor and inspired a 
robust Martian exploration program that lives on today.

This week, President George W. Bush honored the people who 
made this space odyssey possible. In a commendation letter 
sent to NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin, the President 
said "The exploration of Mars brings out the best in 
Americans. It challenges us to learn, to strive, and to 
achieve dreams that were impossible for earlier generations."

Remarks from Administrator Goldin air today on NASA 
Television at 11 a.m. EDT. This afternoon, NASA TV carries a 
panel discussion from NASA's Langley Research Center, 
Hampton, VA, titled "Viking: The First Encounter" from 1:30 
p.m. to 3 p.m. EDT. 

Langley managed the Viking project until 1978, when it was 
turned over to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, 
CA.

NASA TV is available on GE-2, transponder 9C, C-Band, located 
at 85 degrees West longitude. The frequency is 3880.0 MHz. 
Polarization is vertical and audio is monaural at 6.8 MHz.

The complete text of the President's commendation is 
available on the Internet at:

   http://www.nasa.gov/newsinfo/viking_potus2001.html

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