The HOPE base will help scientists study how humans can live and work in extreme, space-analog environments.
Nellore: India has taken a major step towards sending humans into space, with the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) launching a Mars-like astronaut training facility in Ladakh. ISRO chairman Dr V. Narayanan on Friday inaugurated the Himalayan Outpost for Planetary Exploration (HOPE), located in Tso Kar Valley. The training centre aims to simulate space-like conditions and support research that will contribute to India's long-term goal of sending astronauts to the Moon by 2040.
The HOPE base will help scientists study how humans can live and work in extreme, space-analog environments. The facility marks a new phase in ISRO’s collaboration with private partners, reflecting the growing synergy between government and industry in India’s space programme.
From August 1 to 10, two crew members will remain at the HOPE base in complete isolation, simulating the psychological and physical conditions of a real space mission. Researchers from leading institutions, including IIST, IITs, and the Institute of Aerospace Medicine, will monitor how the crew responds to isolation, conduct health checks and practise tasks such as soil collection and microbial testing.
The HOPE base consists of two modular units — an 8-metre-wide habitation module and a 5-metre-wide operations module. Tso Kar Valley was chosen for its Mars-like features: sub-zero temperatures, low atmospheric pressure, intense solar radiation and permafrost-like salty terrain.
This effort builds on previous preparatory missions, including the Ladakh Human Analog Mission in November 2024 and the ‘Anugami’ isolation study in July 2025, which involved astronaut trainees.
Data from these missions will guide ISRO’s planning for future human spaceflight, including deep-space missions, ensuring astronauts are well-prepared for the harsh realities of space travel.
