In a fascinating intersection of space exploration and Earth science, NASA’s Apollo astronauts once trained on the alien-like lava fields of Idaho’s Craters of the Moon, preparing to explore the Moon’s surface.
This volcanic terrain mirrors lunar and Martian geology, with lava tubes, cinder cones, and vast basaltic flows. Over time, resilient ecosystems emerged among the rocks, from lichens to ancient juniper-filled kipukas. The site remains a prime testing ground for Mars-bound technology and a window into how life may persist on other planets.
Training Ground for Lunar Pioneers
In the summer of 1969, four astronauts from NASA’s Apollo program traveled to Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve in southern Idaho. Although they were experienced pilots, they weren’t trained geologists. Their mission was to explore the volcanic terrain, similar to what they would encounter on the Moon, and learn the field geology skills they would need to investigate and collect samples during their lunar missions.
Craters of the Moon shares a striking resemblance to the Moon’s surface, with wide stretches of hardened lava. While most volcanic activity on the Moon ended over a billion years ago, the lava flows in Idaho are relatively recent, between 15,000 and 2,100 years old. These flows erupted from a network of cracks in the Earth’s crust called the Great Rift, which stretches more than 50 miles (80 kilometers), forming a vast plain of dark basalt rock.
Satellite Views Through the Seasons
Satellite images taken in summer and winter capture the stark beauty of the lava fields of Craters of the Moon. The summer image (above, upper) was taken by the Operational Land Imager (OLI) on Landsat 8 in July 2024, and the winter image (above, lower) by OLI-2 on Landsat 9 in January 2025. Photos at the bottom of the page show the landscape up close—from the ground in 2024 and in 1969, when astronauts Eugene Cernan and Joe Engle trained there with NASA geologist Ted Foss.
The assemblage of lava flows in the area contains nearly every type of volcanic feature associated with basaltic eruptions. Many, including lava tubes and three distinct types of ropy pahoehoe lava, are too small to be visible at the scale of these images. A number of cinder cones—conical hills formed when gas-filled magma erupted in fiery fountains—stand out in the snowy winter scene above. These features are usually topped by a prominent crater. (Note that the craters of Craters of the Moon are volcanic in origin, whereas the round depressions on Earth’s Moon formed when meteoroids, asteroids, and comets struck its surface.)
Lava, Life, and the Harsh Environment
The area’s ecology is closely connected to the volcanic landscape. Lichens are some of the first organisms to colonize new lava flows, and plants gradually find places to grow in the cracks in the lava. Sagebrush is common in the park, especially where rocks are older and soil is more developed.
Islands of lusher plant life called kipukas are scattered throughout the region, becoming isolated when lava flowed around elevated patches of land. Hundreds exist in the park, ranging in size from less than one acre to tens of thousands of acres. Larger kipukas may be crisscrossed by roads and altered by other human activity, while smaller ones are relatively undisturbed. These ecological havens contain some of the oldest juniper trees in Idaho and are valuable for long-term scientific study.
Flora, Fauna, and Winter Resilience
The plant and animal life here, in addition to coexisting with lava rock, must also endure long winters. At approximately 6,000 feet (1,800 meters) in elevation, the area can experience cold, snowy conditions from November through March.
From Moon to Mars: A Continuing Legacy
In the decades since the Apollo program, Craters of the Moon has continued to garner interest from scientists for its commonalities not only with the Moon but also with Mars. Subsequent research programs have used the lava landscape to test instrumentation and advance our planetary exploration capabilities. In one recent study, researchers pointed out that Craters of the Moon lava tubes support diverse microbial communities and have some structural similarities to lava tubes on Mars. These Martian features, shielded from less hospitable surface environments, are of particular interest to scientists because of their potential to harbor biological communities.
NASA Earth Observatory images by Michala Garrison, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Photo of NASA geologist Ted Foss and astronauts Eugene Cernan and Joe Engle by NASA.
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