ISRO’s Analog Mission: India Turns Ladakh Desert Into ‘Space City’ To Prepare Astronauts For Moon and Mars

In a new post on X, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) announced the launch of its first analog space mission. The mission will be conducted in Leh, a city in Ladakh, as its terrain best suits the task at hand.

The Human Spaceflight Centre, ISRO, AAKA Space Studio, the University of Ladakh, and IIT Delhi will work together on this mission.

ISRO’s First Analog Mission: What Is It For?

The aerospace industry is booming, and the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is making a bold move. According to the ISRO, the purpose of this analog space mission is “to simulate life in an interplanetary habitat to tackle the challenges of a base station beyond Earth.” 

This will be the first time India embarks on such a mission, providing essential preparation for future space voyages.

In 2023, the global aerospace market was estimated at £268 billion ($347 billion). Operating in this industry is costly, and experiments often come with a high price tag. To reduce expenses, agencies conduct analog space missions – field tests in locations that simulate space-like conditions. 

It helps save cost, time, equipment, and manpower required for the actual space mission. The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has chosen Leh, a cold desert with extreme temperatures ranging from 35°C in summer to -35°C in winter, as the site for India’s first analogue mission.

According to NASA, analogue missions “play a significant role in problem-solving for spaceflight research. These missions will train astronauts for future journeys to space to explore the Moon and Mars.”