What is an Analog Site?
An analog site is a location on Earth that shares one or more characteristics with an environment on another planetary body.
EARTH IS OUR GATEWAY TO SPACE
Explore Earth.
Explore Earth.
Understand Other Worlds.
Discover extraordinary places on Earth that help scientists understand the Moon and Mars, and prepare for future space exploration.
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Mars Analog Sites
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Moon Analog Sites
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Earth
Earth is more than home.
It's a laboratory for space.
Before humans explore distant worlds, scientists study environments on Earth that share specific characteristics with planetary surfaces. These environments are called Planetary Analog Sites.
FIELD EXPLORATION
Explore Analog Sites
Discover Earth's environments that resemble other planetary worlds.
GLOBAL DISCOVERY
Explore the Locations
Discover our selected Moon and Mars analog environments around the world.
SPACE RESEARCH
Related Space Missions
Discover research projects and missions connected to terrestrial analog environments.
Understanding Planetary Analogs
Why Study Earth?
Earth provides accessible environments for testing instruments, studying geological processes and preparing exploration missions.
Preparing for Exploration
Analog research helps scientists understand environmental challenges before sending robotic systems and astronauts into space.
One important scientific fact
No place on Earth perfectly reproduces Mars or the Moon. Gravity, atmospheric pressure, radiation and other conditions remain fundamentally different. Analog research focuses on specific similarities, not complete equivalence.
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Search for locations, geological features or planetary characteristics.