----
NASA's life-hunting Mars tech goes to work in the Atacama Desert
// Gizmag Emerging Technology Magazine

As far as locations for Mars dress rehearsals go, you could do worse than Chile's Atacama Desert. Regarded as the driest place on the planet, parts of this parched desert landscape have never seen a single drop of rain, making them largely hostile to life on Earth. Sounds a bit like Mars right? Over the month of February, NASA researchers have been using the site to test a rover equipped with scientific instruments needed to comb the Red Planet for signs of life, with a view to fine-tuning the tech ahead of future Mars missions.
.. Continue Reading NASA's life-hunting Mars tech goes to work in the Atacama Desert
http://newatlas.com/nasa--mars-atacama-desert/48397/Category: Space
Tags: MarsNASA Related Articles: NASA taps six companies to develop habitats for Mars-bound astronauts Mars 2020 rides Curiosity's coattails to final assembly and testing NASA shortlists three landing sites for Mars 2020 rover Curiosity: Four years on Mars and still trekking Newly spotted ice field buried on Mars could provide water to future colonists A closer look at NASA's journey to Mars road map
----
Shared via my feedly newsfeed
Read more...