678781 news 1733507490 1751299617 <![CDATA[In a Very Close Galaxy: How Georgia Tech Researchers Use Earth Analogs to Understand Space]]> The surface is covered with fine ash. The lava fields stretch for miles, punctuated only by basalt mountains. But life could be found here if you look hard enough.

This barren land isn't Mars or Pluto, but volcanic deserts in Iceland. The environment is so comparable to Mars' arid landscape that researchers can use it as an analog. From Earth, they can extrapolate how planets in our galaxy and beyond could sustain life and what tools humans might need to make homes on these planets.

Georgia Tech researchers explore everywhere from Oregon's mountaintops to Arizona's deserts to better understand space — and life on this planet.

Read more »

]]> 2024-12-10T00:00:00-05:00 The volcanic deserts in Iceland, covered in fine ash and basalt mountains, resemble Mars' landscape. Researchers use this environment to study how planets might sustain life and what tools humans would need for habitation. Georgia Tech researchers also explore various terrains in the U.S. to better understand space and life on Earth.

]]> 675788 image <![CDATA[Frances2.jpg]]> Students using handheld portable chemical analysis instrumentation analogous to those used on Mars.

]]> 259454 image/jpeg 1292 1188 1292 1188 193266 192252 187423