Indian space agency conducts first-ever analogue mission with egg-shaped structure

The Habitat-1 is Indian space agency’s, Isro, first ever analogue mission that allows astronauts to be subjected to space conditions in preparation for actual missions.

Hab-1, short for Habitat-1, was recently tested for three weeks in the Himalayan mountain range of Ladakh.

The space architect Aastha Kacha-Jhala told BBC that such simulations help identify and address issues astronauts and equipment might face before they are launched into space for missions.

The Hab-1 egg-shaped structure is built with space-grade Teflon and insulated with industrial-use foam. It also has a bed, a stowaway tray which can be used as a workstation, a storage space, a kitchenette for heating meals and a toilet.

An astronaut spent three weeks in simulation.

"Hab-1 is designed keeping in mind that space is going to be very limited on the Moon or Mars," Kacha-Jhala said.

"The astronaut will also have very limited water so we designed a dry toilet. We also put in place a system for a proper disposal of waste and ensured that the habitat remained odour-free,” she added.

The analogue mission comes at a crucial time for India as it prepares to send its first ever astronauts into space in the Gaganyaan mission of Isro.

Gaganyaan will place three astronauts into low-Earth orbit at an altitude of 400km (248 miles) for three days for sometime next year if the preparations go according to plan.

The country also aims to set up its first space station by 2035 and send an astronaut to the Moon by 2040.

As for choosing Ladakh for the simulation mission, Dean of Research Studies at Ladakh University Professor Subrat Sharma said, “from a geographical perspective, its rocky, barren landscape and soil have similarities with the material and rocks found on Mars and some parts of the lunar terrain which make it ideal for space research".

Ladakh is also a region where land stretches for miles and miles and the professor says the barren landscape gives the “feeling of being alone on the planet" and that is how the simulation astronaut on Hab-1 felt during the three-week isolation period.

"I was isolated from the human environment. Every move that I made was scheduled, when to wake up, what to do when and when to sleep? A 24x7 camera monitored every move and sent data about my activities and health to the back office," the 24-year-old who did not want to be named stated.

The astronaut said the initial few days "were great, but then it began to feel repetitive and it started to get to me. It started impacting my daily performance. My sleep schedule was affected a little and my concentration deteriorated”.

The unnamed astronaut had to wear biometric devices to monitor his sleep pattern, heart rate and stress level and his blood and saliva were tested on a daily basis to see how he was coping in isolation.