Popular Science

Check out the United Arab Emirates' plans for building a Martian city—on Earth

To prep for the one that will actually be on Mars, naturally.
rendering of a martian city

Before Mars, they'll build a city in a more familiar desert.

UAE

The government of the United Arab Emirates recently declared intentions to build a city on Mars in the next century or so. Their first step? A prototype city on Earth. This week officials launched the Mars Science City project, which will attempt to build "a viable and realistic model to simulate living on the surface of Mars."

People on Earth pretend to be for a short stay in one for, uh, reasons? But the UAE has grander plans in mind: their 1.9 million square foot city will provide a playground for engineers to prototype future Martian building materials and construction techniques, while simultaneously creating labs capable of simulating various aspects of the Red Planet's environment.

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