Did you happen to see the NPR story today about Iceland touting itself as a better destination than Mars or the Moon? After all, Iceland has otherworldly sights like red rocks, black sand, and sub-glacial volcanoes, not to mention such goodies as oxygen, and plenty of water. If you haven’t seen the story, you can find it here, along with photos and a very funny little video called Mission: Iceland. Don’t miss it!
I was particularly interested because, as many of you know, my last seven posts on this site combine into essentially a travelogue on Iceland. I describe much of the country and recount some of the interesting adventures my daughter, Anne, and I had while visiting that island nation in August. If you’ve missed any, they all are still available. You can find the first of the series by clicking here.
Briefly, the NPR story reveals that Iceland’s tourist board claims that their country offers more amenities than space, and at a fraction of the cost. Another advantage of Iceland? No space suit is required. Not only that but their geothermal pools are luxurious, as our time in the Blue Lagoon proved to me. Maybe Iceland does beat Mars and the Moon.
Even NASA likes the place. It often has used Iceland as a representative of the moon’s terrain for training purposes, and it is still doing so as it prepares astronauts for other missions.
Here’s a quote from NPR’s story: Iceland is an amazing analog for both the Moon and Mars,” says NASA’s Kelsey Young, who researches the exploration of planetary surfaces and who has done geologic fieldwork in Iceland.
As some of you have noticed, I’ve been silent here for over a month, longer than I would have liked. Why the silence? Well, I’ve been doing a bit of traveling, and I’ve also occupied myself with other jobs. I’ve spent time researching for a fairly extensive article I’m writing with the intent to submit it to a major newspaper. I’m also involved in another project that has taken more time than it should have. End of excuses. I hope to see you back here soon. Please stay tuned.
Love the video. And so true! I’ve told many people Iceland was otherworldly.
I thought the “Norsk” accent of the actor playing the Astronaut was cleverly done, thus hinting at his Icelandic roots. Most of the natives we talked with spoke English with a decidedly American (non-British) accent. Few had the delightfully husky accent of the Astronaut.