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News18
10-08-2025
- Science
- 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.
Indian Express
08-05-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Isro facing multiple challenges in building Bharatiya Antariksha Station: Director of Human Space Flight Centre
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is facing multiple challenges in its plans towards building the ambitious Bharatiya Antariksha Station (BAS), said DK Singh, director, Human Space Flight Centre. 'There are technical challenges: the long gestation period, the availability of Indian industry expertise and the cost and the returns for a huge project like the BAS. But we are addressing these challenges,' said Singh, during a panel discussion on building space stations at the ongoing Global Space Exploration Conference (GLEX) on Thursday. India has proposed to build the Bharatiya Antariksha Station (BAS) by 2035 with the first module BAS-1 scheduled for a 2028 launch. Speaking to The Indian Express, Singh said, 'The overall aerospace industry in India will need to step up their infrastructure, from manufacturing, developing life support systems among others.' The senior ISRO official further called on the global industries to partner with India for the multiple human space exploration missions planned in the near future. Singh further said that India will make the BAS available for the use of the international space community at affordable costs. 'It will be a space lab, which will facilitate astronauts to undertake experiments, which otherwise cannot be performed on Earth due to its gravity. Life sciences and pharmaceutical sectors have huge scope to perform experiments at BAS. Drug tests can be performed at BAS,' he said. Even though there are efforts underway by multiple private space companies towards building a space station, but the role of governments will continue to remain vital, said Michael Lopez Alegria, veteran NASA astronaut and mission commander of two Axion missions. 'The governments will remain the major partner in building and utilisation of the space station. We need individuals and nations to use the space station,' he said. Thomas Pesquet, astronaut with the European Space Agency (ESA), cited the lack of political will among European nations in getting space activities underway as the biggest challenge. 'In India, there is a strong political will and focused efforts, for example in building the BAS. It is time for Europe to step up,' said Pesquet. The International Space Station, now operating for 24 years, has been the longest serving space stations and has surpassed its mission life. So far, over 700 people have visited space.
