Gallery: Posters to inspire the next generation of space explorers

Venus: See you at the Cloud 9 Observatory
Venus: See you at the Cloud 9 Observatory. The rare science opportunity of planetary transits has long inspired bold voyages to exotic vantage points -- journeys such as James Cook's trek to the South Pacific to watch Venus and Mercury cross the face of the Sun in 1769. Spacecraft now allow us the luxury to study these cosmic crossings at times of our choosing from locales across our solar system.
Jet Propulsion Laboratory | NASA

Jet Propulsion Laboratories, which operates some of the highest profile NASA probe programs, is looking to inspire the next generation of space explorers.

Invoking the aesthetics of atomic-age tourism posters of the 1950s, JPL on Wednesday released a series of poster images celebrating celestial destinations — some of the newly discovered exoplanets, our neighbors across the solar system and some of their moons — through the eyes of an interplanetary travel agency.

Each poster is grounded in the science of the locale, such as the ice geysers of Enceladus, the newly discovered water of Ceres, or the heavy gravity of HD 40307g, and each adds a twist of what if.

Create a More Connected Minnesota

MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.