Could this be what our home might look like on the Moon or Mars?

Could this egg-shaped structure be what the future home of Indian astronauts will look like in space?

Hab-1 – short for Habitat-1 – is Indian space agency ISRO's first 'analogue mission' which stands for simulating space conditions to prepare astronauts for real space missions. It was recently tested for three weeks in the high Himalayas of Ladakh.

Aerospace engineer Aastha Katcha Jhala, from Gujarat-based Aaka, told the BBC that these simulations help identify and address problems that astronauts and equipment may face before space missions.

Built using aerospace Teflon and insulated with foam for industrial use, the Hub-1 has a bed, a tray that can be pulled out and used as a workstation, storage space to hold supplies and emergency equipment, a kitchenette for heating meals, and a toilet. An astronaut in the simulation spent three weeks holed up in the facility.

“HAB-1 was designed keeping in mind that space would be very limited on the Moon or Mars,” says Ms. Katcha Jhala. “The astronaut will also have a very limited amount of water, so we designed a dry toilet. We also put in place a proper waste disposal system and made sure the habitat remained odor-free.”

It is now in talks with Isro to build India's first permanent space simulation facility in Ladakh.

The mission comes at a time when India is preparing to send its first astronauts into space.

ISRO's Gaganyan mission plans to put three astronauts into low Earth orbit at an altitude of 400 kilometers (248 miles) for three days. If all goes according to plan, the mission will launch sometime next year. India also plans to establish its first space station by 2035 and send a man to the moon by 2040.

NASA, the European Space Agency, Russia, China, other countries and private companies with space programs are running dozens of simulation missions, and two of the four Indian astronauts selected for the Gaganyaan mission are being trained at NASA at the moment.

“Once we have our own simulation mission, we will not have to depend on foreign space agencies to train our astronauts,” says Professor Subrat Sharma, dean of research studies at Ladakh University, which collaborated on the project.

He told the BBC that Ladakh was chosen for the experiment because “from a geographic perspective, its arid, rocky landscape and soils are similar to materials and rocks found on Mars and some parts of the lunar terrain, making it ideal for space research.” “.

The university is testing soil samples collected during the mission to see if astronauts will be able to use locally sourced materials to build homes in space.

The Himalayan region lies on the Indo-China border at an altitude of 3,500 meters (11,483 feet) and has harsh climatic conditions and thin air. In one day, the temperature here can change from a maximum of 20°C to a minimum of -18°C.

It's no match for Mars (where temperatures can drop as low as -153°C) or the Moon (where -250°C is the norm in some deep craters), but it's still a test of human endurance. As Professor Sharma says: “Since you cannot go into space to test every time, you need these facilities where space-like conditions can be created.”

He also adds that Ladakh is one of the regions of India where barren lands stretch for miles and miles, “giving you the feeling of being alone on the planet.”

That's exactly how the simulation astronaut, who spent three weeks trapped in the capsule in the icy, cold desert, felt.

“I was isolated from the human environment. My every move was scheduled, when do I wake up, what do I do and when do I sleep? A 24/7 camera monitors my every movement and sends data about my activities and health to the back office,” the young adult told me. He is 24 years old and did not wish to reveal his name.

“The first few days were great, but then I started to feel repetitive and it started to affect me. It started to affect my daily functioning. My sleep schedule was affected a little bit and my concentration deteriorated,” he said.

The simulation astronaut wore biometric devices to monitor his sleep pattern, heart rate and stress levels. His blood and saliva are tested daily to see how well he is coping.

Scientists say that simulating psychological factors to see how they affect humans in space is one of the most important parts of the mission.

As space agencies from around the world seek to send astronauts to the Moon and establish permanent bases there in the coming years, simulation missions are expected to play a crucial role in research and training.

In April, a team of scientists and engineers began experiments in Oregon to prepare the NASA experiment Robot dog – Lassie – Walking on the moon. In July, four volunteers showed up after spending a year in an “analog” facility, specially built in Texas Simulating life on Mars.

According to The Economist, NASA hopes to 3D print a base using only materials found on the moon's surface, while China and Russia are cooperating on their own plans.

India does not want to be left behind. Professor Sharma says that once the data collected in Ladakh is analysed, it “will help us develop medical technology to deal with the needs of our astronauts when they encounter a problem in space.”

“We need to know how our bodies will function on the Moon where days and nights are much longer than on Earth,” he says. “Or in space where there is not enough oxygen.”

Follow BBC News India on Instagram, YouTube, twitter and Facebook.