Mars Analogue Sites
Definition
Mars analogue sites are places on Earth that present one or more geological or environmental features similar to those found on Mars, either current or past.
History
Studies of Mars analogue sites have been an integral part of comparative planetary science, space exploration, and astrobiology for over a half-century (Léveillé 2010a). Following the successful Mariner missions of the 1960s, planetary scientists began studying in more detail Mars-like features and environments on Earth, including volcanic and erosional systems, glacial and thermokarst features, dunes, playas, and impact craters. Mars analogue sites were later studied in order to plan for possible landing sites for the Viking mission. Similarly, Mars analogue sites were used to test NASA’s earliest life-detection instruments. Early microbiological studies of desert soils, including some from Antarcticaand the Atacama, focused on the adaptations and survivability of microorganisms under Mars-like conditions....
Keywords
Astrobiology Analogue sites Mars Exploration Extremophiles Biosignatures Missions Extreme environments Comparative planetologyReferences and Further Reading
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