Desert Research and Technology Studies (D-RATS)

NASA is preparing to land the first woman and first person of coloron the Moon within the next decade and establish a permanent sustainable human presence before sending humans onto Mars. To ensure the success of these missions, NASA has performed operational testing in terrestrial, aquatic, and laboratory analog environments that simulate Lunar and Martian environmental characteristics. Desert Research and Technology Studies (D-RATS) is an example of a long-standing, high-fidelity terrestrial mission class analog.