The terrain of Iceland's desolate, black lava deserts in the highlands in the south of the country is the closest to Mars you can get on Earth. The Nordic island country was the training ground for NASA's 2020 Mars Mission, with the aim to determine the potential for life on Mars. The launch date was July 30, 2020 and the goal duration of the mission is to spend at least one Martian year on the planet - about 687 Earth days. In preparation of this ambitious exploration, a team of scientists and engineers tested equipment, strategies and techniques in this Mars-like environment.

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