Analog Space Mission: What is ISRO’s ‘Analog’ space mission, base station built in Ladakh, know its purpose

New Delhi: The ‘Analog’ space mission of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has been launched in Leh, Ladakh. The space agency said in a post on social media platform ‘X’ on Friday that this mission will act as an interplanetary habitat to deal with the challenges of a ‘base station’ located beyond the Earth. Let us know what is India’s first analog space mission? What benefit will this bring to the world of space?

What is the objective of this mission?

The mission aims to simulate conditions similar to Mars and the Moon in the harsh climate and geographical terrain of Ladakh. The mission tries to replicate the challenges that astronauts face in the extreme conditions of celestial bodies.

Why only Ladakh for the mission?

Ladakh is a cold desert. If seen, the climate here is a mixture of desert and arctic regions. Temperatures in this region range from 3 to 35 °C in summer and -20 to -35 °C in winter. The region receives heavy snowfall during winter. NASA says analog missions are field tests in locations that resemble extreme space environments.

NASA engineers and scientists work with government agencies, academia, and industry to gather requirements for testing in harsh environments before they are used in space. The aim is to save time, money and manpower by simulating a similar environment on Earth before investing in space. Analog missions prepare us for near-term and future exploration of asteroids, Mars, and the Moon.