BENGALURU: After completing high-altitude analogue tests in Leh, the four astronauts selected for the Gaganyaan mission will soon undergo another round of simulations in the Rann of Kutch. The tests are being designed to study how astronauts will live and work in space during the Gaganyaan mission scheduled for 2027 and at the Bharatiya Antariksha Station (BAS), expected to be operational by 2035.
The Human Space Flight Centre (HSFC) under ISRO has provided Gujarat-based space research firm Aaka Space with a set of parameters to be tested by astronauts and researchers ahead of the missions. The upcoming tests will expose astronauts to extreme heat conditions, and specialised analogue extravehicular activity (EVA) suits are being developed for the exercise.
HSFC Director DK Singh said, “Aaka has an analog habitat which will be used. We have given our objective specifications that must be included.”
From April 2 to 9, 2026, astronauts Group Captains Shubhanshu Shukla, Prashanth B Nair, Angad Pratap Singh and Ajit Krishnan underwent analogue tests in Leh to measure performance, adaptability and behavioural parameters. The exercise — Mission MITRA — was ISRO’s first analogue mission as part of human spaceflight preparations.
In Leh, endurance was tested in temperatures as low as –11°C to –15°C. In Kutch, astronauts will face temperatures exceeding 50°C.
Aastha Jhala, founder of Aaka Space, said, “We built a 40×90-foot container habitat similar to a space station, with a utility room, laboratory and hygiene centre. ISRO has also given specific requirements relevant to future lunar missions.
Bioregenerative food modules, exercise systems and biometric features are being developed for space compatibility. We recently conducted a 3D-printed Mars radiation shield test to support future human habitation beyond Earth.”
ISRO had partnered with Bengaluru-based Protoplanet Pvt Ltd for the Leh analogue mission. The company is now expanding its Himalayan Outpost for Planetary Exploration (HOPE) centre at an altitude of 4,500 metres for ISRO’s next analogue mission later this year.
Siddharth Pandey, founder-director of Protoplanet, said the Mission MITRA setup was located an hour from Leh to ensure astronaut safety. “Ladakh is unique because temperatures change rapidly over short distances, making it an ideal location for space mission training,” he said.