India’s first space simulation project is in full swing after ISRO tested Hub-1, an egg-shaped space pod that could serve as the future home of India’s astronauts. This comes in the wake of ISRO’s Gaganyaan mission, scheduled for 2025, which plans to send astronauts to orbit 248 miles up for three days.
With a plan to prepare astronauts for actual space missions, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) recently tested Hub-1 for three weeks in the high Himalayan mountains of Ladakh. According to experts, Ladakh’s “rocky, barren landscape and soil has similarities with materials and rocks found on Mars and parts of the lunar surface that make it ideal for space research,” the BBC reports.
Space Pod Hub-1 Element
The news outlet said Hub-1 includes a fold-away bed that can be taken out and used as a workstation. Other surprising elements that are part of Hub-1 include a mini-kitchen to heat food and a toilet, in addition to storage space to keep supplies and emergency kits. During the simulation period, an astronaut spent three weeks in it. Meanwhile, NASA is training two of the four Indian astronauts involved in the mission.
“Hab-1 has been designed keeping in mind that the space on the Moon or Mars will be very limited… the astronauts will also have very limited space,” Aka company’s space architect Aastha Kacha was quoted as saying by the BBC. There would be water, so we designed a dry toilet.” Like Jhala says.
Aastha further said that the designers of the space pod have created a system for proper disposal of waste and ensure that the habitat remains odor free. This is an important step towards setting up India’s first space station by 2035 and sending a man to the Moon by 2040.
‘Every move was planned’: ISRO test astronaut
Detailing how the test mission went, the test astronaut said everything was scheduled, from waking up to when to sleep. 24×7 cameras monitored every movement and sent data about my activities and health,” said the 24-year-old, who was isolated from the human environment for 21 days and spent this time in the capsule.
