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India Plans First Underwater Space Analogue Mission for December 2026
M
Moneycontrol•19-10-2026, 10:39
India Plans First Underwater Space Analogue Mission for December 2026
- •India is scheduled to launch its first underwater human spaceflight analogue mission in December 2026 in Gujarat.
- •The startup Aaka Space is leading the initiative with planned collaborations from ISRO and the Indian Navy.
- •The initial trial will last 24 hours, followed by a longer 72-hour trial scheduled for March 2027.
- •The mission aims to test habitat systems, life-support operations, and human responses to isolated and confined environments.
- •Insights from the project will support India's future spaceflight programmes and the Samudrayaan deep-ocean exploration initiative.
Key Questions Answered
India's first underwater human spaceflight analogue mission trial is planned for December 2026 and will run for 24 hours in a controlled underwater environment in Gujarat.
The underwater human spaceflight analogue programme is being planned by the Indian space startup Aaka Space, with expected collaboration from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Indian Navy.
The initiative aims to test habitat systems, evaluate equipment and life-support systems, and study how humans respond to isolated, confined environments and demanding operational conditions.
