Could our home on the Moon or Mars look like this?

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

Hab-1, short for Habitat-1, is India’s space agency Isro’s first-ever “analog mission,” which means simulating space conditions to prepare astronauts for real-world spaceflight. It was recently tested for three weeks in the high Himalayan mountains of Ladakh.

Space architect Aastha Kacha-Jhal, of Gujarat-based firm Aaka, told the BBC that the simulations help identify and solve problems astronauts and equipment may face before spaceflight.

Constructed of aerospace-grade Teflon and insulated with industrial-grade foam, the Hab-1 features a bed, a tray that can be pulled out and used as a workstation, storage space for supplies and emergency kits, a kitchenette for reheating food, and a toilet. The astronaut in the simulation spent three weeks holed up in the facility.

“Hab-1 is designed with the understanding that space on the Moon or Mars will be very limited,” says Ms Kacha-Jala. “An astronaut will also have a very limited amount of water, so we designed a dry toilet. We have also put in place a system to properly dispose of waste and ensure that the habitat remains odour-free.’

It is currently in talks with Isro to build India’s first permanent space simulation in Ladakh.

The mission comes as India prepares to send its first astronauts into space.

Isro’s Gaganyaan mission plans to launch three astronauts into Earth orbit at an altitude of 400 km (248 miles) for three days. If all goes according to plan, the mission will start next year. India also plans to build 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 are conducting dozens of simulation missions, and two of the four Indian astronauts selected for the Gaganyaan mission are currently undergoing training 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 at Ladakh University, who was involved in the project.

Ladakh, he told the BBC, was chosen for the experiment because “geographically, its rocky, barren landscape and soil have similarities to material and rocks found on Mars and parts of the lunar terrain, making it ideal for space research. “.

The university is testing soil samples collected during the mission to see if astronauts can use local materials to build homes in space.

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

It doesn’t compare to Mars (where temperatures can drop below -153C) or the Moon (where -250C is the norm in some deep craters), but it’s a test of human endurance nonetheless. And, as Professor Sharma says, “since you can’t go into space for tests every time, you need these facilities where you can create the space environment.”

Also, he adds, Ladakh is one of the regions in India where barren land stretches for miles and miles, “giving you the feeling that you are alone on the planet.”

And that’s exactly how it felt for a simulated astronaut who spent three weeks in a capsule in an icy desert.

“I was isolated from the human environment. My every step was planned, when to wake up, what to do, when and when to sleep? The camera tracked my every move 24×7 and sent data about my activity and health to the back office,” a 24-year-old, who did not want to be named, told me.

“The first few days,” he said, “were great, but then it got repetitive and it started to get to me. It began to affect my ability to function on a daily basis. My sleep schedule has been slightly altered and my concentration has deteriorated.’

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

Scientists say that modeling psychological factors to see how they will affect people in space is one of the most important parts of the mission.

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

In April, a team of scientists and engineers began testing in Oregon to prepare NASA a robot dog – Lassie – walking on the surface of the Moon. In July, four volunteers emerged after spending a year at an “analog” facility purpose-built in Texas for simulate life on Mars.

And according to the Economist magazine, NASA hopes to 3D print the base using only materials found on the lunar surface, while China and Russia are collaborating on their own plans.⁠

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

“We need to know how our bodies will function 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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