New Delhi: Two young Indians from New Zealand have made a giant leap to win an internship at the US space agency NASA’s prestigious Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California.
Shivam Desai — a mechatronics engineering master’s student from the University of Auckland — and Taran John — a third-year PhD student at Victoria University — were among seven university students selected under a government initiative offering tertiary students in New Zealand the opportunity to work with scientists and engineers at NASA.
The international internship programme, sponsored by the New Zealand Space Agency, provides the students with three-month placements with hands-on experience on cutting-edge NASA missions at the JPL, one of the world’s premier space research centres.
“We’re proud to support the next generation of science and space innovators,” said Andrew Johnson, deputy head of the New Zealand Space Agency. He added that the initiative “aligns with the government’s goal of building an aerospace-capable workforce”.
Born in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad, 24-year-old Desai developed a fascination for space in high school.
“I watched a documentary by Neil deGrasse Tyson while I was learning about gravity and orbital dynamics and that’s when my interest really took off,” he said.
He is currently working at the JPL on the deployment mechanism for antenna systems, particularly those launched on small satellites.
Dasai, based in New Lynn, also acknowledged his parents for keeping him connected to his roots.
“We travel to India quite often. I have a lot of family there,” said the engineering student who moved to New Zealand as an infant.
Bengaluru-born Taran John, originally from Kerala, is interning at JPL to assist with sampling on Martian or lunar surfaces. His research is focussed on improving interactions between astronauts and their equipment.
“JPL has played a role in so many major space achievements. Being here, you’re surrounded by some of the best minds in the world. You can feel how close you are to bleeding-edge tech,” he said.
He grew up in Lower Hutt but said he was proud of his Indian heritage.
“We’ve got a strong Malayali community in Wellington, and growing up around them really helped me stay connected to my culture.”
