![]() ![]() ![]() Those features have also helped Iceland evoke other worlds in films and TV, Guðmundsdóttir notes. They can also test how tools and gear might cope with the lunar regolith - the mix of soil and rocks on the Moon's surface. Iceland's unique features lets astronauts practice navigating in a moon-like environment, Young says. Two astronauts performed Artemis spacewalk simulations, she says, with an eye to do more training for the upcoming moon mission there. In July, Young was part of a NASA contingent that visited the same sites as the Apollo crews. This satellite image from NASA shows a glacier in Iceland's Vatnajökull National Park, with volcanic ash embedded within it. NASA Earth Observatory Glaciers and volcanoes frequently interact in Iceland - a relationship that's rare elsewhere on Earth. She adds, "Your enjoyment of these experiences would be greatly reduced by wearing a space suit." "From experiencing the Northern Lights at Reykjavik and relaxing in a geothermal spa to dining in a tomato greenhouse, there are new experiences of joy and wonder just waiting to be discovered" on Earth, Guðmundsdóttir says. "Iceland is an amazing analog for both the Moon and Mars," says NASA's Kelsey Young, who researches the exploration of planetary surfaces and who has done geologic fieldwork in Iceland. NASA agrees: the agency has repeatedly used Iceland as a stand-in for the Moon, and it's doing so again as it prepares astronauts for new missions off-world. But people can find a similar experience in Iceland - at a fraction of the cost and without the baggage of a large carbon footprint, Sigríður Dögg Guðmundsdóttir, head of Visit Iceland, tells NPR. Space tourism has been making headlines for years now. ![]() To drive home the message, they launched a promo video and a space billboard with the tagline, "Iceland. Plus, they note, oxygen is abundant in Iceland. That's the cheeky idea behind a new pitch from Iceland's tourism board, which says people don't need a spaceship to see otherworldly sights like red rocks, black sand and subglacial volcanoes. Iceland is like Mars - if the Red Planet had hot tubs. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |