The Himalayan Outpost for Planetary Exploration (HOPE), India’s first full-scale, crewed Mars analog mission, successfully completed its inaugural simulation last month in the high-altitude cold desert of Ladakh. This groundbreaking initiative is being led by Protoplanet in collaboration with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Mars Society.
Situated in the Tso Kar Valley at an elevation of 4,530 meters (14,500 feet), HOPE was purposefully established in one of the harshest environments on Earth. With thin air, freezing temperatures, low oxygen, and rocky terrain, the Ladakh site provides conditions that closely replicate those found on Mars and the Moon.
In August 2025, two analog astronauts lived and worked in isolation within the HOPE habitat for 10 days, conducting scientific and psychological experiments to measure human responses to environmental extremes and long-duration confinement.
The HOPE program is a critical rehearsal for India’s future human spaceflight ambitions, including the Gaganyaan mission, a planned Indian space station by 2035, and a crewed lunar landing by 2040.
The Mars Society—globally recognized for its pioneering role in analog research—has joined HOPE as a senior partner, offering both advisory expertise and financial support. Importantly, the Mars Society will also be directly involved in future crew selection for HOPE missions, drawing on decades of expertise from its Mars Desert Research Station in Utah and Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station on Devon Island in Nunavut Territory.
Mars Society Australia, a chapter of the Mars Society, is also assisting in the project, further strengthening international collaboration. Two senior chapter members, Dr. Jonathan Clarke and Dr. Annalea Beattie, participated as team members during the August mission in Ladakh.
“This mission represents a powerful new chapter in international cooperation on human space exploration,” said Dr. Robert Zubrin, President of the Mars Society. “With ISRO and Protoplanet leading the charge, the Mars Society and Mars Society Australia providing expertise and support, HOPE is not only advancing India’s spaceflight goals, but also building the global knowledge base needed for humanity’s first steps on the Red Planet.”
As part of its outreach mission, the Mars Society’s Red Planet Live podcast will be hosting a special panel discussion about the HOPE analog program in the near future, featuring representatives from Protoplanet and Mars Society Australia. Further details will be announced soon.
