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Ars Technica Jul 1, 2026 at 15:20 Big Tech Rising Hot

A space history mystery: What happened to the Viking arm used 50 years ago?

A timely tale about a 50-year-old robotic arm...

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By Robert Pearlman Original source
A space history mystery: What happened to the Viking arm used 50 years ago?

Michael Collins looked down at his watch. The Apollo 11 astronaut had already beaten the original schedule for the opening of the National Air and Space Museum by three days, but no one would remember that if these final 36 minutes didn't go perfectly. President Gerald Ford and Vice President Nelson Rockefeller took 35 seconds to find their seats on the red, white, and blue bunting-lined outdoor stage. The flyover by the Thunderbirds was quick enough. At any other event, it would have been the only time-dependent concern of the day. Read full article Comments

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