Will mankind ever actually have a Martian outpost? Maybe. But it probably won’t come cheap. And it will definitely involve eating dehydrated food and space sickness.
Which is why we’d like to call your attention to something a little closer to home.
What’s being called the “first martian habitat” has cropped up in the Wadi Rum desert in Jordan (we said a little closer). The camp consists of 20 geodesic domes by Freedomes, the world’s foremost makers of the structures and incidentally the same people who designed the dome shelters in The Martian. Also: the film was shot nearby. We’re starting to think this isn’t a coincidence.
The undertaking is a collaboration between Freedomes and SunCity, creators of the world’s best luxury camp experiences (often with decked-out tents fit for a royal procession). Red sand and rocks stretch out for miles in every direction, and the little colony makes up the sparse outcropping that will serve as your homebase. There are private amenities and the biggest sky you’ve ever seen. Which means it should be pretty easy to pretend you’re in Star Wars or Dune.
You can even link up with local Bedouin guides to explore the area, and eat traditional local fare at the camp’s restaurant. You might get lamb that’s been cooked underground or Zarb, a Bedouin barbeque.
Non-dehydrated, of course.
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