Earth as a Planetary Laboratory: Field Analogs for Moon, Mars, and Beyond

To the point

Earth-based planetary analogs—where researchers like Sanaz Esmaeili map lava tubes and Mary Beth Wilhelm collects samples in the Atacama—are used to test instruments, study geology, rehearse missions, and interpret remote sensing to understand the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

Planetary Analogs - NASA Science
nasa.gov

Planetary Analogs - NASA Science

Similar environments on different worlds are called planetary analogs. Studying our home planet helps NASA scientists understand our whole solar system better.