Source: NEWSONAIR

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Context

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has started the country’s first analog space mission at Leh in Ladakh, where space agency will simulate life in an interplanetary habitat. The move assumes significance as India is planning to send a human to the Moon in the near future.

About the Mission

A collaborative effort by Human Spaceflight Centre, ISRO, AAKA Space Studio, University of Ladakh, IIT Bombay, and supported by Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, this mission will simulate life in an interplanetary habitat to tackle the challenges of a base station beyond Earth.

It is designed to support both physical needs and psychological well-being, the habitat integrates a range of innovative technologies like airlock and Extra-Vehicular Activities (EVA zone), Circadian lighting system, hydroponics, environment monitoring system and stand-alone power system.

Airlock and EVA Zone is a dedicated space for preparing for EVA while maintaining habitat integrity; the Circadian lighting system simulates natural daylight cycles to support astronauts’ sleep-wake patterns, the hydroponics and food preparation area supports sustainability and fresh food production, the stand-alone power system utilises renewable energy to ensure uninterrupted power and the environmental monitoring system tracks habitat conditions to support optimal functioning.

Why Ladakh was chosen?

Ladakh was chosen for its unique environmental characteristics, which closely mirror those of Mars and the Moon.

The Diurnal shifts from 15°C to -10°C, which simulate the thermal challenges of extraterrestrial environments, enabling testing of the habitat’s thermal insulation.

Situated over 3,500 meters above sea level, Ladakh’s oxygen levels are only 40% of sea level, allowing researchers to test life support systems for low-pressure conditions similar to Mars.

Region’s sandy, rocky soil resembles Martian and lunar regolith, ideal for research on rover mobility and in-situ resource utilisation.

What are Analog Missions?

Analog missions are field tests in locations that have physical similarities to the extreme space environments.

Tests include: new technologies, robotic equipment, vehicles, habitats, communications, power generation, mobility, infrastructure, and storage.  Behavioral effects – such as isolation and confinement, team dynamics, menu fatigue, and others are also observed.

Past generations used analog missions to prepare for leaving Earth’s atmosphere, landing on the moon, and permanently orbiting our planet.

Currently, analog missions are being organized by space agencies as well as private entities and researchers. Recent examples of NASA or ESA establishing partnerships with private companies related to commercial rocket launching or satellite communication systems are showing how the private sector capacity and faster working process is beneficial for governmental agencies.

Currently, it is the commercialization that is encouraging private entities to invest and work on R&D projects developing human space exploration.

Analog Missions

Analogue Mission	Conducted by	Location	Purpose	Duration	Year Started
HI-SEAS (Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation)	NASA and University of Hawaii	Mauna Loa, Hawaii, USA	Simulate Mars surface conditions to study crew dynamics, isolation, and resource management	Ranges from 4 to 12 months	2013
NEEMO (NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations)	NASA	Aquarius Reef Base, Florida Keys, USA	Underwater mission to simulate microgravity and confined living	Typically 10–21 days	2001
Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS)	The Mars Society	Utah Desert, USA	Simulate Mars environment to test equipment and study group dynamics	2 weeks per crew rotation	2001
Concordia Station	ESA and French-Italian Antarctic program	Antarctic Plateau, Concordia Station, Antarctica	Extreme isolation studies to understand psychological effects of confinement and isolation	Typically 9 months in isolation	2005
LUNA (Lunar Analog)	ESA and Roscosmos	Moscow, Russia	Simulate Moon base operations and study effects of isolation	2 weeks to 1 month	2019
SIRIUS (Scientific International Research In Unique Terrestrial Station)	Russian Academy of Sciences & NASA	Moscow, Russia	Simulate Moon and Mars missions, focusing on crew interactions in isolation	4, 8, and 12-month missions	2017
Human Exploration Research Analog (HERA)	NASA	Johnson Space Center, Houston, USA	Simulate deep-space missions like trips to asteroids or Mars	45-day missions	2014
Pangaea	ESA	Lanzarote, Spain	Train astronauts in geological fieldwork on Earth to prepare for lunar or Mars geology	Typically a few weeks	2016
CHILL-ICE (Cave Habitat In Lunar Landscape- Iceland)	CHILL-ICE Foundation	Iceland	Use Icelandic lava tubes as analogue for lunar caves to simulate lunar habitats	Typically 3–10 days	2020
AMASE (Arctic Mars Analog Svalbard Expedition)	NASA, ESA, Norwegian government	Svalbard, Norway	Mars analog to test life detection and planetary exploration equipment	Varies per mission	2003
Desert Mars Analog Ramon Station (D-MARS)	D-MARS Israel	Negev Desert, Israel	Simulate Mars mission and train crews in EVAs, isolation, and surface operations	Typically 10 days	2018
MOONWALK	ESA, European partners	Rio Tinto, Spain, and subsea locations	Testing robotic, EVA, and operational concepts for Moon and Mars	Typically 1–2 weeks	2015
INTERNATIONAL MOONBASE ALLIANCE (IMA)	International Moonbase Alliance	Mauna Loa, Hawaii, USA	Train astronauts and conduct lunar base research	Ranges from 2 weeks to 1 month	2018
CAVES (Cooperative Adventure for Valuing and Exercising human behavior and performance Skills)	ESA	Caves in Sardinia, Italy	Underground training simulating space isolation and confinement	6-day mission	2011

Sources:

NASA

PRACTICE QUESTION Q:Discuss the significance of analog space missions in preparing for human space exploration. Highlight the major challenges these missions aim to address and the potential benefits for long-duration space travel. (250 Words)