Other worlds, right here
Places that look like the Moon or Mars.
Terra Terra Collections Other worlds, right here
Astronauts trained in several of these places, and space agencies still test their rovers and habitats in them. Lava fields, red deserts and acid pools: real terrain that looks like it belongs on another planet.
12 stops · read them in order, or jump to the one you want
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Craters of the Moon, Idaho
A sea of black lava and cinder cones where Apollo astronauts trained for the Moon.
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Askja, Iceland
A caldera in the Icelandic highlands where Apollo astronauts practiced for the Moon.
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Meteor Crater, Arizona
A mile-wide hole from an impact 50,000 years ago.
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Wadi Rum, Jordan
The desert of Lawrence of Arabia, with sandstone mountains.
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Mars Desert Research Station, Utah
A rust-red Utah desert where crews rehearse living on Mars.
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Haughton Crater, Devon Island
A 23 km impact crater in the Canadian Arctic, used by NASA as a practice ground for Mars.
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Dallol, Ethiopia
Acid pools and salt towers in the Danakil Depression, below sea level and among the hottest places on Earth.
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Rio Tinto, Spain
A red river beside ancient mines, studied by NASA as a model of Mars.
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Cappadocia, Turkey
Fairy chimneys of soft volcanic rock with homes and churches carved inside.
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Tsingy de Bemaraha, Madagascar
A forest of razor-sharp limestone spires.
