Catalysing space research with Education: Amity University Mumbai leading the way – Times of India

For years, we have wondered whether life can sustain beyond the earth. We have scoured to find evidence that proves life can be supported on other planets. Technological advancements and scientific developments have assisted humankinds quest of space exploration. Organizations such as Blue Origin, founded by Jeff Bezos, (founder of Amazon), Virgin Galactic founded by Sir Richard Branson, and SpaceX founded by Elon Musk have been working on capsules to give people in general a chance at experiencing space while space agencies such as NASA, ISRO, Roscosmos have flown various missions in outer space to explore other worlds and see if there is life beyond earth.

Space exploration in its widest sense has revealed our place in space and time. According to a report by CNBC in 2021, private investment in space companies last year set a new annual record with $8.9 billion invested in this sector. This is a massive number considering the current situation which only means that scientists and other entities are searching for possibilities of life outside the earth.

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The MARS Ladakh project:

With the aim to obtain answers about life in the universe, Amity University Mumbai is establishing Indias first Planetary Science, Education and Experience Station in the Ladakh region to run several programs for Astrobiology, Space Biology research and the Earth and Space Exploration Program. This will allow students, researchers, and enthusiasts to undertake mentorship and hands-on training from the worlds best space scientists for Mars Exploration and Climate Change studies. Apart from these programs, the station will also encourage students to pursue STEM education and amplify awareness about Space in the country.

The station will start with testing robotic platforms to autonomously identify soil, rock and water-based microbes and train cameras, sensor suites and navigation systems in Mars-like terrain. Eventually, the Centre will establish a Mars Research Station to enable long duration studies by scientists and research students. Several researchers from NASA, ISRO, Department of Science and Technology (DST), Ministry of Earth Sciences (MOES), European Space Agency, Mars Society Australia among others are involved in various projects that will be conducted from the station.

To add to the above, Amity University Mumbai created their MASCOT Rover (Mars Amity Surface Characterization and Operations Trainer), Indias first rover to be tested at the worlds highest Mars analogue site. Ladakh has sites like Tso Kar basin and Puga Hot Springs which are ideal analogues for training for Mars exploration. These pristine sites mimic ancient Martian conditions where proof of past life could be preserved in hot, cold, or salty conditions in low-Oxygen environments. The objective of the rover is to access difficult terrains to determine the potential site of interest, check the habitability parameters of the soil and collect samples for off-board analysis using sophisticated instruments. The rover will be capable of traversing through uneven terrains, backup power generation using solar panels, real-time video and sensor data feed at the base station, drilling soil up to 10cm and aseptic sample collection, continual operation at temperatures below 0, and can also be controlled from a Line-of-Sight distance of 5 km.

Commenting on the initiative, Dr Aseem Chauhan, Chairman and Chancellor of Amity University said, We are very honoured to be Indias first university to introduce the MARS exploration program. The Earth and Space Exploration Program, ESEP-2021, is in collaboration with Cosmic Adventures Pvt Ltd and Ladakh Science Foundation. It is a huge step for Indian Space Studies as it gives our youth a real chance to experience outer space and not be constrained to just written knowledge. We at Amity believe in providing actual life experiences to foster better learning that can be implemented in the real world. The program will be joined by various researchers and students across India. The Amity Centre for Excellence in Astrobiology has also partnered with the Berkeley SETI Research Centre of University of California, Berkeley, USA for a dedicated search for advanced life in the Universe, a first of its kind being carried out by India.

Amity University and UC Berkeley SETI

With a view to expand research and provide young students and researchers with an ability to explore outer space, the Amity Centre of Excellence in Astrobiology(ACoeA) at Amity University, Mumbai is involved in several research projects studying life in space via various experiments. The centre has partnered with the Berkeley SETI Research Centre of University of California, Berkeley, USA for a dedicated search for advanced life in the Universe. UC Berkeley Astronomy Department is ranked 2nd best in the world in QS rankings 2020.

Moreover, to help search for signs of activities of advanced extraterrestrial life, the university plans to utilize the advances made in graphics processing units and artificial intelligence. The government, ISRO, and private players have indeed come together to further develop Indias space efforts.

Life Science Experiment with ISRO:

Earth's climate is changing drastically and would be irreversible after a few years if we don't change our attitude and actions toward our planet. This very thought has motivated scientists to look for life beyond earth and find out ways to survive there. Amity Space Biology team with ISRO is involved in studying the impact of reduced gravity on growth and health of high-yielding plant crops and bacteria strains. The team has designed and developed in partnership with Paras Defence and Space Technologies Limited, the Amity Space Biology Experiment-1 (ASBE-1) and Autonomous Life Growth Experiment (ALGE-1) which have been selected for flight on the ISRO PSLV PS-4 orbital platform. This might help determine the possibilities of farming on Mars and whether colonies could begin there in the coming future.

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Catalysing space research with Education: Amity University Mumbai leading the way - Times of India