India’s first analog space mission: Could our home on the Moon or Mars be like this?

Could this egg-shaped structure look like the future home of Indian astronauts in space?

Hab-1 – short for Habitat-1 – is Indian space agency ISRO’s first “analog mission” meant to simulate space conditions to prepare astronauts for real space missions. It was recently tested for three weeks in the high Himalayan mountains of Ladakh.

Astha Kachajhala, a space architect from Gujarat-based firm Aka, told the BBC that the simulations help identify and solve problems that astronauts and instruments may face before space missions. is

Constructed with space-grade Teflon and insulated with industrial-grade foam, the Hab-1 features a bed, a stowaway tray that can be pulled out and used as a workstation, storage for supplies and emergency kits. Place, kitchen to heat food and a toilet. In the simulation, an astronaut spent three weeks hiding in the facility.

“Hab-1 has been designed keeping in mind that space on the Moon or Mars would be very limited,” says Ms. Kacha Jhala. “Astronauts will also have very limited access to water, so we designed a dry toilet. We also installed a system to properly dispose of waste and ensure that the habitat is odor-free. stay.”

It is now in talks with ISRO to build India’s first permanent simulated space facility in Ladakh.

The mission comes at a time when India is gearing up to send its first astronauts into space.

ISRO’s Gaganyaan mission plans to put three astronauts in low-Earth orbit at an altitude of 400 km (248 mi) for three days. If all goes according to plan, the mission will begin sometime next year. India also plans to set up its first space station by 2035 and send a man to the moon by 2040.

NASA, the European Space Agency, Russia, China and other countries and private firms with space programs run dozens of simulated missions, and two of the four Indian astronauts selected for the Gagnon mission are currently being trained at NASA.

“Once we have our own simulation mission, we won’t have to depend on foreign space agencies to train our astronauts,” says Professor Subrat Sharma, dean of research studies at Ladakh University.

He told the BBC that Ladakh was chosen for the experiment because “from a geological point of view, its rocky, barren landscape and soil are similar to materials found on Mars and rocks and parts of the lunar terrain.” which makes it ideal for space exploration.”

Soil samples collected during the mission are being tested by the university to determine whether astronauts will be able to use locally sourced materials to build homes in space.

The Himalayan region on the India-China border is located at an altitude of 3,500 meters (11,483 ft) and has extreme climatic conditions and thin air. In a day, the temperature here can go from a maximum of 20C to a minimum of -18C.

It’s no match for Mars (where temperatures can drop below -153C) or the Moon (where -250C is the norm in some deep craters), but still, it’s a test of human endurance. And as Professor Sharma says, “Since you can’t go into space every time you do a test, you need facilities that can create space-like conditions”.

Also, he adds, Ladakh is a region in India where barren land stretches for miles and miles, “giving you the feeling of being alone on the planet”.

And that’s exactly how the simulated astronaut, who spent three weeks trapped in a capsule in the icy cold desert, felt.

“I was isolated from the human environment. Every move I made was scheduled, when to wake up, what to do and when to sleep. A 24×7 camera monitored my every move and data back on my activities and health. used to send to the office,” the 24-year-old, who did not want to be named, told me.

“The first few days were great,” he said, “but then it started happening again and again and it started to get to me. It started affecting my day-to-day performance. My sleep schedule was affected a bit and my Detention has deteriorated.”

The simulated astronaut wore biometric devices to monitor his sleep patterns, heart rate and stress levels. His blood and saliva were tested daily to see how he was coping.

Simulating psychological factors to see how they would affect humans in space is one of the most important parts of the mission, scientists say.

As space agencies from around the world aim to send astronauts to the moon and establish permanent bases there in the coming years, simulation missions are expected to play an important role in research and training.

In April, a team of scientists and engineers began tests in Oregon in preparation for NASA. The robot dog – Lasi – Walking on the surface of the moon. In July, four volunteers emerged after spending a year in a specially-built “analog” facility in Texas. Simulating life on Mars.

And according to The Economist magazine, NASA hopes to 3D print a base using materials found on the moon’s surface, while China and Russia are collaborating on their own projects.

India does not want to be left behind. Once the data collected in Ladakh is analysed, it will “help develop medical technology to deal with the needs of our astronauts when they encounter a problem in space,” says Professor Sharma. .

“We need to know how our bodies will work on the moon where the days and nights are much longer than on Earth. Or in space where there is not enough oxygen,” he says.

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