50 Years on Mars

Fifty years after the first lander touched down on Mars, robotic missions have transformed a distant red speck into a world rich with stories.

What began with early mission setbacks and grainy black‑and‑white images has evolved into autonomous navigation, subsurface scanning and, most recently, potential evidence of ancient bio-signatures.

The history of Mars exploration is one of extraordinary engineering paired with relentless scientific curiosity. Each rover has travelled farther, survived longer and revealed landscapes more complex than scientists could have ever imagined.

As we move toward a century of Martian exploration, what breakthroughs are on the horizon? And what should we be most excited about?

Imperial College London’s Dr Joel Davis reflects on the pivotal discoveries of the past 50 years, shares insights from the front line of Mars science, and explores the missions, technologies and questions set to shape humanity’s next era on the Red Planet.

This is a ticketed event, advance booking will open shortly.

Visitor information

Talks and discussions are intended for an adult audience and are best suited for ages 16+.

If you have an advance ticket, please arrive at the venue 10 minutes before the start time. Your ticket gives you priority access, however, as this is a free event we overbook to help ensure a full event and your space may be reallocated. Early arrival reduces this risk.

To see the precise location of where this talk is taking place, you can use what3words.com with the code 'ship.rips.congratulations'. 

This event has step-free access from the ground floor entrance of the Sir Alexander Fleming building and is fully wheelchair accessible, with designated wheelchair spaces located at the front of the lecture theatre.