CASSANDRA^
KLO
S- ON THE GROUND
The red desert landscape
of southern Utah mimics
the isolation, geology, and
palette of our planetary
neighbor Mars. A hike
through this region reveals
deep red canyons, buttes,
and pinnacles. Ignore the
succulents and you can
imagine yourself trekking
in the Valles Marineris,
Mars’s version of the Grand
Canyon. Rainbow Bridge
National Monument, in
this part of the state, is a
spectacular, 290-foot-tall
natural arch made of red-
brown Navajo and Kayenta
sandstone. The region
is also home to the Mars
Desert Research Station,
a two-story stand-in for a
potential Martian research
station, complete with
simulated air locks. More
than 1,200 people have
participated in two-to-
three-week missions at
the station since 2001.
The Mars Society, which
advocates for sending
humans to Mars as soon
as possible, regularly
recruits volunteers for
future mission simulations.EXPLORE MORE
Kennedy Space Center
Merritt Island, Florida
At the legendary site of
the Apollo 11 liftoff, visitors
can see the launch pads,
meet an astronaut, and
join the Astronaut Training
Experience, which mimics
a mission to Mars with
launching, landing, and
space walking. kennedy
spacecenter.comAt the Mars Desert
Research Station
near Hanksville,
Utah, a crew member
contends with gravity
during a simulated
space walk.