Egg-shaped pods complete with a bed, workstation, kitchenette and toilet could be a taste of what human life on the Moon or Mars looks like.

The structures were designed by Indian space architect Aastha Kacha-Jhala as the country prepares to send its first astronauts into space in 2025.

The mission, dubbed Habitat-1 or Hab-1, centres around the replication of outer space conditions in Ms Kacha-Jhala’s pods – which are insulated with industrial-use foam and built from space-grade Teflon.

One future spaceman spent three weeks living in the egg-shaped construction in the Himalayan mountains – a simulation exercise designed to pinpoint any problems the crew might face once launched into the cosmos.

The plan is going at all steam ahead so far, with Ms Kacha-Jhala already in talks to build a permanent simulation facility in the rocky and remote Himalayan region of Ladakh.

She told the BBC: “Hab-1 is designed keeping in mind that space is going to be very limited on the Moon or Mars.

“The astronaut will also have very limited water so we designed a dry toilet. We also put in place a system for proper disposal of waste and ensured [the pod] remained odour-free.”

India is hoping to become the fourth country to send a crewed mission into space next year, with the Gaganyaan launch, which will cost around £870 million and send astronauts to a low-Earth orbit of around 250 miles over a three-day period.

If all goes well, the country is then planning to set up its first space station in 2035 and land its first man on the moon by 2040.

While the egg-shaped pods created by space architects at the pioneering company Aaka offer a glimpse into the future of human life on other planets, testing is still ongoing to determine the best material with which to build them.

The Ladakh region, chosen as a simulation base for its barren terrain and extreme climate, could hold the key – with soil samples currently being tested by the local university for their viability in outer space.

Temperatures in the region, which is close to the Chinese border, can oscillate between -18C and 20C – not quite the mindblowing lows of a minimum -250C on the Moon or -153C on Mars.

The comparison suffices on experimental grounds, however – and has also shed light on the potential psychological impact of being holed up in one of the small facilities in an empty and freezing landscape.

The 24-year-old astronaut who took part in the three-week experiment told the BBC: “I was isolated from the human environment.

“Every move that I made was scheduled, when to wake up, what to do when and when to sleep. The initial few days were great, but then it began to feel repetitive and it started to get to me. My sleep schedule was affected a little and my concentration deteriorated.”

India is not the only country hoping to establish bases on the Moon and Mars in the next decade – with the US Artemis program and China and Russia’s collaborative International Lunar Research Station scheme hoping to build on the lunar surface before 2040.

While initial habitation seems destined to be characterised by the cramped, isolated living conditions experienced by the unnamed Indian astronaut, it’s hoped that a longer-term presence will allow the development of docking facilities, power plants and something resembling a more permanent settlement.