National Geographic magazine, July 2026 Issue

Beyond Earth: how we're preparing to live and work on the Moon and Mars. National Geographic stories take you on a journey that's always enlightening, often surprising and unfailingly fascinating. This month–how we're preparing to live and work on the Moon and Mars.

In this issue: What would living on Mars and the moon be like? Inside the World’s Biggest Analog. — A global experiment tests how humanity could live across the solar system, by dropping volunteers into some of Earth’s most extreme environments.; Wonders of America — To mark 250 years of the United States’ independence, we’re celebrating the grandest, wildest, strangest bits of geography and culture all across an eclectic country.; On the trail of the world’s best mummy sleuths — Scientists at the world’s only mummy research institute are combing crypts and caverns for ancient remains—and using new tools to gather fresh insight about how our ancestors once lived.; Inside National Geographic’s brand-new Museum of Exploration — A bold museum in Washington, D.C., lets visitors experience how scientists, adventurers, and storytellers reveal the world’s wonder—one artifact at a time.; Can this famously gorgeous pit viper save the cloud forests of Honduras? — High in the cloud forests of western Honduras, the elusive jade palm pit viper has become a symbol of a vanishing ecosystem—and a critical part of a new effort to save it.; Chlamydia is killing koalas. Can a new vaccine save them? — The race is on to save the cuddly creatures from a debilitating disease: chlamydia.; The outdoorsman who made wildlife photography a big deal for National Geographic — A century ago, George Shiras III put down his gun, picked up his camera, and revolutionized how we look at animals.; Can these tiny insects stop the next wildlife pandemic? — The lowly blowfly is known for feasting on feces and corpses. One intrepid researcher hopes to use them as a biological warning system for disease.