logo
NIT research to improve weather prediction on Mars for better robotic, human mission planning

NIT research to improve weather prediction on Mars for better robotic, human mission planning

The Print30-06-2025
The findings of this research have been published in the prestigious journal, New Astronomy Reviews.
By examining information from more than 20 years of data collected by multiple Mars missions, including India's Mars Orbiter Mission (MoM), the team has studied how dust and water ice interact to shape the planet's climate and temperature.
New Delhi, Jun 30 (PTI) Researchers from National Institute of Technology (NIT), Rourkela and Sun Yat-sen University in China have examined how spinning dust devils, powerful dust storms and widespread water ice clouds can influence the atmosphere on Mars.
According to Jagabandhu Panda, professor, Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, NIT Rourkela, understanding these processes will also help in preparing for human exploration missions.
'Mars, also known as the red planet, is home to some of the most dramatic weather systems in the solar system. Dust raised by local and regional storms can travel far and disturb wind patterns resulting in change of temperatures, and in some cases, reshape the Martian atmosphere in dramatic ways,' he said.
'Knowing how Martian weather works can help protect spacecraft, support future astronauts, and improve our understanding of whether Mars may once have supported life,' he added.
Panda explained that advancing the weather prediction on Mars is not just a scientific pursuit, it is the cornerstone of ensuring that future missions can sustain there and realise the past and future habitability of the red planet.
Using imaging data of more than 20 years, the researchers have traced how changing season on Mars evolve the dust and clouds formation and movement.
'These findings refine the human knowledge and understanding of Mars' climate system and may be useful for predicting future weather on the planet. As more missions head to the Red Planet, long-term studies like this one offer essential clues about its ever-changing skies,' he said. PTI GJS GJS MNK MNK
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Welcome back to Earth: Two astronauts complete Hope Mars analog mission
Welcome back to Earth: Two astronauts complete Hope Mars analog mission

India Today

time2 hours ago

  • India Today

Welcome back to Earth: Two astronauts complete Hope Mars analog mission

Two Indian analog astronauts, Rahul Mogalapalli and Yaman Akot, stepped out on Monday after spending 10 days in strict isolation inside the Himslayan Outpost for Planetary Exploration (Hope) habitat, nestled in the rugged terrain of Tso Kar, approximately 150 km from Leh, Ladakh. Their mission, aimed at simulating the stresses and routines of lunar and Martian exploration, marks a major milestone for India's human spaceflight INSIGHTS FROM THE ANALOG ASTRONAUTSSpeaking to which received exclusive access to the remote habitat, the astronauts reflected on their journey, describing it as a challenging yet transformative experience. 'The ten days were a real learning curve,' said Rahul. 'We had to ration food, water, and even internet bandwidth. Maintaining communication and staying disciplined was tough, but if given a chance, I'd do it again.' Both crew members emphasised the unique psychological hurdles of extended confinement, pointing to the value such analog missions bring to India's future space exploration plans. HOPE MISSION: PIONEERING INDIA'S SPACE FUTUREThe Himalayan Outpost for Planetary Exploration (HOPE) mission, developed by Bengaluru-based Protoplanet in collaboration with ISRO's Human Space Flight Centre (HSFC), is India's maiden attempt to mimic extraterrestrial living conditions. The 8-meter habitat module and a 5-meter utility module, named Phobos and Deimos after Mars' moons, were designed to replicate the challenges of long-duration space travel. The region's extreme environment, with drastic temperature swings from 35C to -25C, provided the ideal Mars-like conditions for rigorous Hope analog experiment is crucial groundwork for India's upcoming Gaganyaan mission, which will send astronauts into space and eventually to the Moon by 2040. The data and protocols forged here, covering mission planning, health monitoring, and environmental adaptation, are directly applicable to future crewed missions. Rahul and Yaman undertook biomedical experiments, collecting urine, breath, and blood samples. These will be analysed by ISRO scientists to understand genetic, physiological, and psychological changes induced by isolation and harsh conditions. BUILDING FOR THE FUTUREDr Siddharth Pandey, founder and director of Protoplanet, emphasised the mission's importance as a learning curve not only for the astronauts but for his team as well. He revealed plans to expand the habitat to accommodate up to six analog astronauts and expressed hope that Gaganyaan's astronaut corps will participate in future analog the maiden mission concluded, Phobos and Deimos will operate as automated weather stations, gathering invaluable data for upcoming analog missions while Protoplanet gears up to upgrade the facility ahead of the next simulation, planned for April 2026.A GIANT LEAP FOR INDIA'S SPACE EXPLORATIONBy successfully simulating lunar and Martian conditions, the HOPE analog mission unfolds a new chapter in India's journey to establish a human presence beyond Earth. As the Gaganyaan program eyes a launch in 2027, this Ladakh outpost stands as a rehearsal for a future when Indian astronauts walk on the Moon and, someday, Mars.- Ends

Two researchers to emerge from 10-day analogue space mission in Ladakh
Two researchers to emerge from 10-day analogue space mission in Ladakh

News18

timea day ago

  • News18

Two researchers to emerge from 10-day analogue space mission in Ladakh

New Delhi, Aug 10 (PTI) Two researchers are set to emerge from a 10-day isolation on Monday at the human outer space exploration (HOPE) outpost in Ladakh that simulates living conditions on the Moon and Mars to help better understand the physiological and psychological aspects of long-duration space travel. For the first experiment, two researchers — Rahul Mogalapalli and Yaman Akot — started their isolation mission on August 1 at the HOPE analogue site located on the banks of the Tso Kar lake, about 160 km from Leh. 'The aim of the mission was to assess human adaptability and resilience in conditions simulating deep space environments," Siddharth Pandey, the director of Protoplanet, a company involved in space science popularisation, told PTI. He said the insights gained from these studies will be instrumental in developing robust protocols and technologies for sustained human presence beyond Earth. The high-altitude and cold desert-like conditions here serve as an 'exceptional analogue site, closely mimicking the geological and environmental conditions found on the Moon and Mars", the statement noted. HOPE comprises a specially designed eight-meter diameter habitat module for crew living and a five-meter diameter utility module for operations and support systems, which are interconnected for seamless workflow. Similar to HOPE, there are research stations such as the Mars Desert Station (United States), Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station in Canada and BIOS-3 in Russia, which look to simulate the challenges that astronauts might face in adapting to alien worlds. The HOPE station is owned and operated by Protoplanet, with contributions from The Mars Society (US and Australia), ISRO's Human Space Flight Centre, and permissions from the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council. Experiments from partner institutions such as the Indian Institute for Space Science and Technology, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, IIT Hyderabad, IIT Bombay, and the Institute for Aerospace Medicine were carried out during the 10-day isolation period. Investigators from these institutes will examine epigenetic, genomic, physiological and psychological responses of two analogue mission crew members and validate health-monitoring protocols, planetary surface operations, and refine sample collection and microbial analysis techniques. The data generated through these analogue missions organised by the Human Space Flight Centre of the ISRO will form the basis for the design of protocols and infrastructure for future Indian human exploration missions by providing key insights into technology performance, crew workflows, and environmental adaptation, ISRO said in a statement. India plans to launch astronauts to space as part of the Gaganyaan project in 2027 and land an Indian on the moon by 2040. Scientists from ISRO's Human Space Flight Centre and representatives from the Ladakh government are expected to attend the function on Monday at the Tso Kar Valley site. PTI SKU NSD NSD view comments First Published: August 10, 2025, 20:00 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

ISRO to launch 6,500 kg US communication satellite
ISRO to launch 6,500 kg US communication satellite

News18

timea day ago

  • News18

ISRO to launch 6,500 kg US communication satellite

Chennai, Aug 10 (PTI) After marking a humble beginning in the Indian space programme with a tiny rocket supplied by the United States, ISRO would launch a 6,500 kg communication satellite built by the US in the next couple of months, the chairman of the space agency, V Narayanan said on Sunday. Following the historic launch of NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission onboard a GSLV-F16 rocket on July 30, ISRO would be launching another satellite for the United States, he said at an event near Chennai. Narayanan, who is also the secretary of Department of Space, was presented with the honorary degree of Doctor of Science, by the Governor of Maharashtra C P Radhakrishnan, during the 21st Convocation of SRM Institute of Science and Technology at Kattankulathur near Chennai. In his acceptance speech, Narayanan recalled that the ISRO was set up in 1963 and the country was 6-7 years behind advanced countries then. In the same year, a tiny rocket was donated by the United States marking the beginnings of the Indian Space Programme. 'It was on November 21, 1963," he said. In 1975, through satellite data given by the US, ISRO demonstrated 'mass communication' by keeping 2,400 television sets across 2,400 villages of 6 Indian states, he said. 'From that (kind of humble beginnings), the 30th of July was a historical day for the Indian space programme. We have launched the NISAR satellite. The costliest satellite ever built in the world. The L Band SAR payload from the USA and S Band payload provided by ISRO. The satellite was placed in orbit precisely by Indian launcher (GSLV). And today, we are shoulder to shoulder with advanced countries," Narayanan remarked. He noted that the team from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) lauded their counterparts in ISRO for the precision launch of the GSLV-F16/NISAR Mission. 'In another couple of months, a country which received a tiny rocket from the United States, is going to launch a 6,500 kg communication satellite built by America using our own launcher from Indian soil. What a significant growth it is," he noted. From a country which did not possess satellite technology 50 years back, ISRO has, to date, launched 433 satellites of 34 countries using its own launch vehicles, he said. Elucidating about the Indian space programme, he said, 'Today, there are 55 applications where ISRO has been contributing for the welfare of the country. 'It includes television broadcasting, telecommunication, weather forecasting, disaster warning and mitigation, navigation, ensuring food and water security.", he said. 'Even during Operation Sindoor, we have ensured through our satellites, the safety and security of whatever possible of all the citizens of Bharat, we could contribute, we contributed," he remarked. Listing out some of the significant missions, he said with the Chandrayaan-1 mission, ISRO was able to identify water molecule on the surface of the moon, and through Chandrayaan-3 till date, no country has made soft landing on the south pole of the Moon. Referring to Russia's rocket mission of placing 34 satellites into orbit using a single launch vehicle, he said India broke that record by placing 104 satellites into the intended orbit using a single rocket. In 2017, ISRO scripted history by successfully launching 104 satellites, including India's weather observation Cartosat-2 Series, in a single mission onboard PSLV-C37 rocket. On the future launch missions planned by the Bengaluru-headquartered space agency, Narayanan said, currently there are 56 satellites orbiting the earth, serving the purpose of ISRO. The number of satellites would be increased '3xtimes' over the next 2-3 years. 'We are going to have our own Gaganyaan programme (sending humans to space) and ISRO is also going to build its own space station by 2035. The Indian Space programme is really one of the outstanding programmes and by 2040 we will match all developed countries in terms of capability of all space programmes," he said. In his brief address, Radhakrishnan said, 'Sincerity, hard work and patience are the true keys to success." 'Challenges come to all, but it is overcoming them with determination that shapes your future," he said. Urging them to embrace lifelong learning, and to remain humble, he said, 'With this spirit, the youth will lead India to become the world's foremost economic power by 2047." Ministry of Earth Sciences, Secretary, M Ravichandran was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Science along with Narayanan. On the occasion, a total of 9,769 students — 7,586 men and 2,183 women received their degrees. Additionally, 157 students who secured top ranks were honoured. PTI VIJ VIJ ROH view comments First Published: August 10, 2025, 19:30 IST News agency-feeds ISRO to launch 6,500 kg US communication satellite Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store