NASA's vintage advertising for planetary tourism is really beautiful
NASA put men on the moon and landers on comets, but it's not all serious over there.
As part of their promotion of possible human visits to other worlds, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory created a (fictional) "Exoplanet Travel Bureau" – complete with beautiful, retro-inspired promotional illustrations of other worlds, based on what we know about them.
An exoplanet simply means a planet that doesn’t orbit our sun - we know of several thousand at the moment. But for now, enjoy this awesome artist's impression of these alien worlds.
They're available in high-resolution for personal use, too - check out the links below.
1. Kepler 16-b
First up, take a stroll in your state-of-the-art relaxation suit on the sands of , which has twice as much sun as most planets - literally! Relive the famous twin sunsets of Star Wars' Tatooine in real life – a mere 196 light years from earth!
2. HD 40307g
Next, experience the ultimate thrill ride in the heavy gravity of - with its mass eight times greater than earth! Dropping from orbit in your special support suit is a skydive like nothing on earth.
And at 42 light years distant, this incredible thrill-ride is practically next door.
3. Kepler-186f
And if a stroll through lush countryside is your idea of a getaway, consider Kepler-186f. With liquid water just like our planet, its lush forests abound- with their reliance on red-wave photosynthesis mixing the familiar and the alien in just the right amounts.
At 492 light years out, you'll need a top-of-the-range travel method, but it's bound to be worth it.
High-resolution images
Even better, NASA have put the large-size files for each up on their website so you can print out a poster yourself. Click the link for Kepler-16b, HD 40307g, or Kepler-186f.
