To prepare for an upcoming expedition to Mars, NASA scientists recently visited Iceland’s Lambahraun lava field, which is at the base of Langjökull glacier, Iceland Monitor reported. The field closely resembles Mars’ surface and conditions, making it the perfect testing ground for a prototype of the small rover intended for use during the expedition! Texas A&M University Professor Ryan Ewing said the mineralogy in Iceland is very close to what one might find on Mars. Specifically, the dry basalt sand is similar to Mars’ mineral makeup and is unique to Iceland. Additionally, glacial water has created channels in the sand, resembling the channels on Mars.
Check out the video of the rover testing below!
Did you know that Iceland’s surface is reminiscent of Mars? Let us know what you think of this cool fact on Twitter or in the comments!
Comments
article Next
article