Terrestrial Analogs 2021 (LPI Contrib. No. 2595) 8104.pdf

LADAKH: A MARS ANALOGUE FIELD SITE FOR ASTROBIOLOGY RESEARCH Siddharth Pandey1,2,3*, Michael C. Macey4, Debashree Das1, Anurup Mohanty2,5, Satyam Tiwari2, Jovel Varghese Jose1,2 1Amity University (Bhatan, , , - 410206, ) 2Blue Marble Space Institute of Science (1001 4th Ave, Suite 3201, Seattle, WA 98154, US), 3Mars Society Australia (43 Michell St, Monash ACT 2904, Australia) 4The Open University (Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA, UK) 5SRM Institute of Science and Technology (KTR, Kancheepuram, Chennai - 700055, India) *[email protected]

Abstract: The growing number of missions has desert conditions of Ladakh harbor varied geological brought previously unapproachable and features and features of scientific interest, including incomprehensible regions of the universe into the glacial deposits, hot springs, sand dunes, salt crusts, realm of our understanding. The millennial boosts in permafrost regions, and saline lakes [2]. Each of these technological innovations have enabled us to expand sites are characterized by distinct geological features the horizons of our exploration far beyond our that can help provide answers to fundamental questions immediate neighborhood in the solar system. As is pertaining to habitability (extremophilic microbes inevitable for any scientific discovery of magnitude, to residing in hot springs with temperatures of 70°C to open up questions for further evaluations, recent space those surviving under permafrost conditions where the endeavors have necessitated the search for analogue temperatures never rise above 0°C) and potential sites on Earth that mimic these extraterrestrial sites in biosignatures that could be formed and preserved order to glean insights into physicochemical and under conditions considered analogous to geological processes, potential habitability and environments on Mars. The biogeochemical features, operational parameters for future missions[1]. Various like the ionic composition and temperatures of hot analogue sites have been identified across the world on springs environments, could be used to drive research the basis of their resemblance to a celestial body of towards the origin and subsequent evolution and interest. These sites have been used to address diversification of the earliest life forms [3]. Moreover, questions pertaining to distinct fields of inquiry, i.e., the rugged terrain of Ladakh provides perfect grounds the origin and evolution of life, habitability and for the testing of rover and landing mission biosignatures, in addition to the ground testing of instruments, like the HABIT (HabitAbility, Brine several instruments to be used at these off-Earth Irradiation and Temperature), an instrument tested locations. This study explores the role of one such during the SBI 2016 expedition, which is used for analogue site, Ladakh. Ladakh is located in the evaluating the habitability and also explore the In-Situ Himalayan region, situated North of the Indian Resource Utilization (ISRU) options for ExoMars subcontinent. Located at elevations of 3,000–5,700m mission [4]. Its field trial in Ladakh aimed at above sea level, its geographical location means that establishing its basic functional principle of capturing this region has been exposed to limited natural water on salt surfaces to create a brine, which may be weathering and anthropogenic activities, as it is in the relevant for future missions. With strong potential to rain-shadow region and it is difficult to access. act as an analogue site for Mars, Ladakh remains an Furthermore, the high altitude nature of this region enigma to be explored. means that there is the challenge of the stressful References: [1] Parro, Victor et al. (2011) conditions of cold temperatures, low oxygen partial Astrobiology, 11,10, 969-96. pressure and high UV irradiation. Though testing in [2] Pandey, S. et al. (2020) International Journal of terms of survival, these geophysical features result in Astrobiology, 19(1), 78-98. Ladakh being considered a suitable Mars analogue, [3] Joshi MP, et al. (2017) Life. 7(4), 51. sharing a low atmospheric pressure and a high UV [4] Martín-Torres Javier et al. (2020) Planetary and Space Science, 190, 104968. index given the lack of magnetic activity and Acknowledgements: The authors would like to thank sparseness of its atmosphere. the members of the Spaceward Bound India 2016 Scouted as part of the first NASA Spaceward Bound community, The Blue Marble Space Institute of India (SBI) program of 2016, Ladakh offers the unique Science for their support for this project. The work advantage of being an amalgamation of multiple carried out in Ladakh was possible due to the support extreme environments with astrobiological and cooperation of the Chief Wildlife Warden of significance within the same region. The cold arid Ladakh, Union Territory of Ladakh.