How are scientists planning to apply their studies of these deserts to the future?

Scientists are planning to apply their studies of these deserts in the future, such as microbial life and the geological formations of deserts, towards greater understanding and subsidies for future explorations of other planets such as Mars.

The Atacama Desert in Chile is one of the places with most Mars-like landscapes on planet Earth, due to its dry and rainless climate, which leads NASA to explore the Atacama to test techniques for future missions to Mars.

Therefore, the application of NASA studies in deserts such as the Atacama, will be useful to test prototypes for the detection of microbial life and new techniques to support the exploration of a new planet.

Learn more here:

link

The correct answer to this open question is the following.

We are talking about NASA's scientific projects aimed to forecast the possibilities of human life in other planets such as D-RATS, known as Desert Research and Technology studies. Scientists are planning to apply their studies of these deserts to the future of humankind. Ot The Ames Research Center in the Mojave Desert, California, operated by NASA, focuses its efforts on developing research such as the Spaceward Bound to share this valuable information with teachers who can share their experience with their students at school.  

mostly drug tunnels for drug deals etc.

i think that the answer is polishing peanuts