Who Is Aditya Pandya? 17-Year-Old Becomes India’s Youngest Analog Astronaut After Moon Habitat Mission

India’s growing space ambitions are now inspiring teenagers too. Aditya Pandya, a 17-year-old student, has become India’s youngest male analog astronaut after successfully completing a simulated lunar habitat mission. The mission was organised by AAKA Space Studio and took place in Dholavira from February 1 to February 8, 2026.What Is Analog Space Mission? An analog mission is a simulated space mission conducted on Earth. It recreates the isolation, limited resources and technical challenges astronauts may face on the Moon or Mars. The aim is to study how humans live and work in tough environments and how systems perform under pressure.The programme placed participants in a moon-like environment designed to replicate conditions astronauts may face in the space.

During the mission, Pandya and fellow crew members carried out experiments, habitat maintenance and simulated spacewalk-related activities while following strict protocols similar to those used in real space missions.Who Is Aditya Pandya? Aditya was part of a four-member crew that lived inside a specially designed container-based habitat for eight days. The team followed strict mission rules, including limited communication with the outside world and complete dependence on onboard systems for daily operations. What makes Aditya’s role stand out is that he was not just a crew member. He also helped design and build many of the systems used inside the habitat. For nearly six months before the mission, he worked on developing hardware and Internet of Things (IoT) solutions that powered the habitat. This included environmental sensors, biometric monitoring tools and safety systems to track crew health and detect technical faults.The habitat also used a digital twin system, which means a virtual version of the habitat ran alongside the real one. This allowed mission control to monitor data in real time and analyse performance during and after the mission. Several parts used in the setup were created using 3D printing and rapid prototyping.During the eight-day stay, all members carried out experiments related to isolation, human-machine interaction and decision-making in confined spaces. Aditya’s dual role as both engineer and crew member allowed him to test the technology he helped build in real conditions.AAKA Space Studio says the mission is part of efforts to build India’s analog research ecosystem and support future human spaceflight goals. Pandya’s achievement shows how young minds are already contributing to India’s space research journey.