Astronauts Approach Viking 2 – NASA, Pat Rawlings (1991) – Space Age Poster Print

Pat Rawlings’s Astronauts Approach Viking 2 imagines the first human explorers on Mars returning to the landing site of Viking 2, which touched down in Utopia Planitia in 1976. The astronauts approach the long-dormant lander across the rocky Martian surface, with its distinctive radio antenna, solar panels, and scientific instruments still standing after years of exposure. Created for NASA in 1991, the artwork was part of a series exploring possible future human missions and specifically considers how astronauts could examine the effects that Mars’s surface and atmosphere had produced on the Viking spacecraft over time.

The concept is a fascinating bridge between NASA’s robotic exploration of Mars and its long-term vision of human exploration. Viking 2 was one of the first two spacecraft to successfully land and operate on Mars, conducting experiments that greatly expanded knowledge of the planet’s atmosphere, soil, weather, and surface environment. Rawlings imagines those historic machines becoming something more than archaeological curiosities: preserved scientific artifacts that future astronauts could revisit, inspect, and use to understand how Martian conditions affect technology over decades. The low Martian horizon, brilliant orange sky, and tiny human figures give the scene a particularly evocative sense of scale and isolation.

 

🖨️ Print features:

– Made with museum-grade archival paper for excellent printing fidelity and vibrant color reproduction

– Paper weight: 189 g/m2

– For indoor use only

– Care instructions: If the print does gather any dust, you may wipe it off gently with a clean, dry cloth.

– Please note: Due to the production process of these posters, please allow for slight size deviations with a tolerance +/- 1/16″

 

🚚 Fulfillment, Shipping, and Return Policy:

– Printed and shipped from the U.S.

– Ships in a sturdy mailing tube, frame not included

– As our items are unique and made to order, we can only accept a return or exchange in the event that an item arrives damaged or misprinted. We cannot accept returns if you order the wrong size or change your mind. Any return requests must be made within 14 days of receiving the order.

 

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