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Indian scientists are considering a location in the country’s hilly Ladakh region to set up a Mars and Moon analogue research station, the Times of India reported on Friday.
The facility would advance India’s human space program and its plans to explore Mars in the future.
Shubhanshu Shukla, one of four Indians selected for the country’s first manned space mission ‘Gaganyaan’, was among the scientists involved in the project from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences (BSIP).
An analogue research center is a location where “activities meant for Moon and Mars” can be practiced, Kumar was quoted as saying by The Times. “If you’re planning an astronaut habitat, you can build a habitat there as there are some similarities [with Ladakh],” he told the newspaper.
Ladakh’s geographical features closely resemble both the Martian and lunar environments. It would therefore serve as a natural laboratory for testing equipment, training personnel, and conducting critical scientific research
The region is located along India’s border with China, in an area that is characterized by craggy peaks and steep slopes.
The deliberations are taking place against a backdrop of major strides in India’s space sector. Last year, the country launched successful missions to the Moon (Chandrayaan-3) and the Sun (Aditya-L1).
At present, New Delhi is working on the Gaganyaan mission, which will send Indians to space. The country plans to build its own space station by 2035 and send the first Indian to the Moon by 2040.
In 2020, four astronauts traveled to Russia for space flight training at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City outside Moscow. Since their return, they have been undergoing rigorous training for the mission in India. Earlier this year, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented the would-be crew with symbolic wings.
India launched its first Mars orbiter mission, unofficially known as Mangalyaan, in 2013. The orbiter lost communications with Earth in 2022. The country is planning its next mission to the Red Planet, where it intends to land a rover and deploy a helicopter.