New Delhi
Taking a significant jump in India’s space exploration efforts, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has established the Himalayan Outpost for Planetary Exploration (HOPE) in Ladakh’s Tso Car Valley. It is a high-high, Mars-like atmosphere, which has been selected to test life-saving systems and techniques for future lunar and Mars missions.
Inaugurated by ISRO President Dr. V. Narayanan on 31 July, the Hope station will be used to test systems for future space missions. The project is being led by ISRO’s Human Space Flight Center, which has support from an industry partner and top research institutes.
This analog mission is part of a growing international movement that aims to study how humans can live in a supernatural environment by imitating the harsh conditions of other planets on Earth.
The Tso Car Valley was chosen from Mars due to its environmental similarities, including high ultraviolet radiation, low atmospheric pressure, excessive cold and salted permafrost.
Hope facility has two associated units. One is an eight -meter wide place for a crew, while the other is a five -meter utility module with equipment and accessories. A 10-day test mission is being conducted from 1 to 10 August, where two crew members will stay inside and will participate in various physical, mental and functioning tests.
Scientists from IIT Bombay, IIT Hyderabad, IIST Trivandrum, RGCB Trivandrum and Institute of Aerospace Medicine at Bangalore are leading many experiments. They are studying how isolation affects the body and mind, testing health-lower devices, and trying ways to work on the surfaces of the planets and collect microorganisms. The results will help shape security plans, equipment and systems for future space missions.
ISRO’s Hope Mission
Describing Hope Mission as “the rehearsal of future”, Dr. Narayanan said that this initiative is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s approach to increase private sector participation in India’s space program.
Along with the Hope Mission, new research in the Puga Valley, located at the height of Ladakh, has discovered clues about the origin of life on Earth. Indian scientists have found that geotomical waterfalls of the valley can mimic the early conditions of the Earth and preserve organic molecules associated with the beginning of life.
In a study conducted by Birbal Sahni Pervinian Institute (BSIP), the calcium carbonate deposits (travtine) of the region have found fractions of amino acid compounds, fat acids, formamide and sulfur.
According to prominent researcher Dr. Amritpal Singh Chadha, “High ultraviolet radiation and extreme conditions of the Puga Valley mimic the initial Earth and possibly the circumstances of the ancient Mars.”
This study published in ACS Earth and Space Chemistry, along with the current ongoing Hope Mission, is establishing Ladakh as a major center for India’s growing space and astronomy biology efforts.
