• ISRO said its analogue space mission has taken off at Leh in Ladakh, where it will simulate life in an interplanetary habitat as India prepares to send a human to the Moon.

• The initiative is a collaborative effort of ISRO, its Human Spaceflight Centre, AAKA Space Studio, University of Ladakh, IIT Bombay, and supported by Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council.

• The month-long mission, kicked off mid-October, comes in the wake of India’s plans to set up lunar habitats, which could provide a base to launch inter-planetary missions.

Key points: 

• This mission aims to simulate interplanetary habitat conditions, helping scientists explore the feasibility of establishing a sustainable base station beyond Earth. 

• Ladakh’s extreme isolation, dry climate, and barren, high-altitude terrain make it ideal for simulating conditions similar to Mars and the Moon. 

• The environment presents an opportunity for researchers to gather critical data that will support India’s Gaganyaan program and future missions.

• The analog missions are field tests conducted in remote Earth environments to simulate extreme space conditions, allowing researchers to study human and robotic response to space-like challenges.

• Such tests are crucial for evaluating technologies, habitats, communication systems, and other equipment necessary for extraterrestrial operations. 

• Additionally, these missions provide insights into behavioral dynamics under isolation, confinement, and team-driven settings — conditions essential for deep-space missions.

• With test sites around the world that mimic harsh space conditions, from deserts to volcanic landscapes, analog missions are invaluable in preparing for future deep-space journeys.

Why Ladakh was chosen for space habitat testing?

• AAKA Space Studio selected Ladakh as an ideal location for testing space habitats due to its unique environmental conditions that closely resemble those of Mars and the Moon.

• Extreme Temperature Variations: Ladakh experiences significant diurnal temperature shifts, ranging from 15°C during the day to -10°C at night. These variations simulate the thermal challenges of extraterrestrial environments, making it an ideal site to test the habitat’s thermal insulation capabilities.

• High Altitude and Low Oxygen Levels: At over 3,500 meters above sea level, Ladakh has oxygen levels only 40 per cent of those at sea level. This low-pressure, low-oxygen setting allows researchers to evaluate life support systems under conditions similar to those on Mars, where sustaining human life requires specialised equipment.

• Soil Composition Similarity: The region’s sandy, rocky soil closely resembles Martian and lunar regolith, providing a realistic environment for studying rover mobility and in-situ resource utilisation, which involves using local materials for construction and survival.

(The author is a trainer for Civil Services aspirants.)