The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), in collaboration with the Indian Air Force's Institute of Aerospace Medicine (IAM), is conducting Mission MITRA — Mapping of Interoperable Traits and Response Assessment — in Leh, Ladakh from April 2 to April 9, 2026. As of April 7, the eight-day field exercise is in its final phase. Mission MITRA is a first-of-its-kind team behavioral study by ISRO and the IAF-Institute of Aerospace Medicine, designed to study how Gaganyatris (Indian astronauts) and ground control teams perform under extreme, isolated, space-like conditions on Earth, ahead of the Gaganyaan crewed orbital mission. Located at an altitude of about 3,500 metres, the Leh site offers a natural analog of the harsh space environment with hypobaric hypoxia, sub-zero temperatures, intense ultraviolet radiation, and physical isolation. The study examines four interconnected dimensions — physiological adaptation, psychological resilience, team coordination, and operational decision-making — between the Gaganyatris and Bengaluru-based Mission Control. The Bengaluru startup Protoplanet manages the high-altitude habitat and operational protocols, marking growing private participation in India's human spaceflight ecosystem. Findings from MITRA will feed directly into Gaganyaan crew selection, training, mission rule design and contingency planning, and will inform future long-duration missions including the planned Bharatiya Antariksh Station. The mission also showcases India's indigenous capacity in space life sciences and complements global analog missions such as NASA's HI-SEAS and the Mars-500 programme.