On Friday, August 1, a unique mission began in the cold mountains of Ladakh, where two carefully chosen individuals started living in complete isolation at a height of 14,000 feet.
This is not an ordinary experiment, but a special simulation that mimics what astronauts might experience during long space missions, such as trips to the Moon or Mars. The goal is to study how the human body and mind reacts in such harsh, isolated environments.
This important test is part of India’s broader plan to send humans into space under the Gaganyaan programme.
The simulation is being run by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) at a remote facility in Ladakh called the Himalayan Outpost for Planetary Exploration (or HOPE).
The site was developed by a Bengaluru-based space firm called Protoplanet and was officially inaugurated by ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan, just a day before the mission began.
The site at Tso Kar in Ladakh was selected because its rocky and barren landscape looked a lot like what astronauts would encounter on the Moon or Mars.
The cold desert environment, with temperatures dropping well below freezing at night and oxygen levels significantly lower than those at sea level, creates conditions that closely mirror the challenges of extraterrestrial habitats.
The experiment will last 10 days and will help scientists understand how people handle being cut off from the outside world for extended periods, especially in tough conditions. This will be useful in preparing for future space journeys that might last for months or even years.
The two participants, Rahul Mogalapalli and Yaman Akot, were chosen from 135 applicants. Rahul is doing his PhD at Purdue University, US and Yaman is a graduate in planetary science from the University of Aberdeen, UK.
They were selected based on ISRO’s strict guidelines spanning medical fitness, psychological stability, and prior experience in similar confined environment simulations. Before being sent to the high-altitude location, they completed a 15-day training program at lower altitudes to prepare them for the tough conditions at Ladakh.
“The main focus of this mission is to study changes in the human body and mind due to isolation and high-altitude stress. Scientists will collect blood, urine, and stool samples from the two crew members before, during, and after the mission. These samples will help researchers study what are called “omics” responses—which include genetics (genomics), proteins (proteomics), and metabolism (metabolomics). In simple terms, they want to see how the body behaves and adapts under stress,” explained space analyst Girish Linganna.
In addition to physical health, the mission will also closely watch how isolation affects mental health. This includes changes in mood, sleep patterns, ability to make decisions, and how the two people interact with each other.
The crew will follow strict daily routines similar to those aboard the International Space Station (ISS), including scheduled work periods, exercise sessions, and communication windows with mission control. Such studies are very important for planning longer missions to space, where astronauts will have to live and work in small spaces far away from Earth.
India’s HOPE facility is one among an elite group of analogue research stations worldwide.
The Mars Desert Research Station in Utah, operated by the Mars Society since 2001, has hosted over 200 missions in the American desert. Similarly, the Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station on Devon Island, Canada, provides insights into polar conditions that mirror Martian environments. The HI-SEAS facility in Hawaii focuses on crew psychology and performance during long-duration isolation. Russia’s SIRIUS program conducts ground-based isolation studies lasting up to 340 days, while the European Space Agency operates the CAVES underground training program in Italian cave systems.
“What sets HOPE apart is its unique combination of extreme altitude, cold desert conditions, and the lunar-like terrain of Ladakh. Unlike other facilities that focus on single environmental factors, HOPE provides a comprehensive testing ground that incorporates multiple space-like stressors simultaneously. The facility’s modular design allows for different mission scenarios and can accommodate various crew sizes and durations,” Linganna pointed out.
Protoplanet, the company behind this effort, is working with global space organisations like the Mars Society and Mars Society Australia. These organisations have already built similar testing stations in deserts and the Arctic. The HOPE station in Ladakh is designed to be semi-permanent, meaning it can be taken apart and moved or changed for future experiments. This makes it cost-effective and reusable.
“The mission focuses on understanding the psychological, physical, and operational challenges of prolonged isolation, limited communication, and harsh surroundings. The crew is housed in a compact inflatable habitat called Hab-1, equipped with essentials such as a hydroponics farm and self-sustaining life-support systems designed to mimic those required for Moon or Mars bases,” remarked Srimathy Kesan, founder and CEO of Space Kidz India.
The experiment also aims to test astronaut endurance, teamwork, emergency resilience, and physiological adaptability, all of which are critical before sending crewed Indian spaceflights into deep space. In addition, the mission validates key technologies such as life-support systems, habitat design, circadian lighting, and health monitoring devices in a near-space analogue environment,” she added.
The mission is currently being overseen by ISRO’s Human Space Flight Centre. Data collected will feed directly into the Gaganyaan mission planning, helping engineers design better life support systems and mission protocols.
In the future, Protoplanet plans to invite private companies, universities, and scientists from different fields to use the HOPE facility for joint research.
More such analogue missions are also planned in other parts of the Himalayas and across India. These future missions will help test different aspects of space travel, such as how to move on the surface of other planets, how to build better space homes, and how to maintain life support systems.
This mission marks an important step forward for India’s space programme. By learning how people behave and stay healthy in space-like conditions on Earth, ISRO is preparing itself for more ambitious goals—like sending astronauts to the Moon and beyond.
The results from this mission, and others to follow, are expected to be shared later this year, contributing valuable data to the global space exploration community.
