Akshata Krishnamurthy’s fascination with area started as a baby as she puzzled about what lies past our planet. Her curiosity was fuelled by weekly visits to the planetariums and air reveals in Bengaluru.
It was no shock then that this younger woman would need to pursue a profession in aerospace. However how, the place, and what to do to realize this dream was a path she needed to navigate on her personal.
With unimaginable expertise and a dogged pursuit of her aim, she turned a pupil on the Massachusetts Institute of Know-how (MIT), which was an enormous deal for the coed who studied in a state board faculty and got here from a center class household.
At present, this gritty lady works as an aerospace engineer on the Nationwide Aeronautics and Area Administration (NASA).
And her journey was not a simple one.
Navigating by means of the varied hurdles of getting an training overseas to setting foot at NASA as a full-time worker took her nearly 15 years. However this 35-year-old is making it straightforward for others by sharing her experiences on social media, and mentoring them. Right here’s her story.
In pursuit of the universe
Akshata works as a Principal Investigator and Area Techniques Engineer at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) on two area missions. She is the mission science part lead on the NASA-ISRO Artificial Aperture Radar mission (NISAR) and robotics techniques engineer on the MARS 2020 Perseverance rover, working the rover on MARS.
This lifelong tryst with area took roots at an airshow in Bengaluru in 2003. It was the Aero India present on the Yelahanka air drive base that maybe began all of it. The aerobatic manoeuvres of the Sukhoi Su-30 pilots left the teenager captivated.
“I used to be all the time eager about science and maths and needed to know extra concerning the origins of our universe. I needed to know extra about the place we come from, and what’s on the market within the sky. I additionally needed to journey round and discover however we didn’t have the sources for that,” Akshata tells The Higher India.
Decided, she fueled her curiosity with no matter supply she had entry to, like visiting the native factories in her native Karnataka village or visiting the planetariums.
Calling herself an ‘explorer’, Akshata would discover pleasure in understanding the hows and whys of all the things she laid eyes upon. This sense of reasoning helped her when she pursued engineering later.
A serious turning level in her life was studying concerning the Hubble Area telescope which ignited her ardour for aerospace.
“Within the early 2000s, watching astronauts carry out spacewalks whereas servicing the Hubble telescope was an enormous inspiration. It made me dream of taking a look at Earth from the huge reaches of area and experiencing what they skilled,” shares the rocket scientist.
Carving her personal path
“I needed to change into an astronaut and that was a transparent aim in my thoughts,” remembers Akshata. Within the 90s, she knew of Rakesh Sharma, Kalpana Chawla and Sunita Williams. Whereas Sharma was within the Indian air drive, the opposite two had been US residents.
“On the time, India didn’t have a human area programme. You both turned a cosmonaut with Russia otherwise you turned an astronaut with the US area programme. There have been no Indians who weren’t US residents within the programme then,” provides Akshata.
She quickly found that a big share of astronauts had really studied at MIT. “Since then, I knew that I needed to research at MIT as I felt that it will present me with probability to go to area. MIT has really despatched 44 astronauts to area and most of them pursued their PhDs right here,” she provides.
This gave the younger schoolgirl a transparent path to give attention to.
She then turned the one feminine pupil in her mechanical engineering stream at RV Faculty of Engineering in Bengaluru, graduating in 2010.
Following this, she obtained a full trip to the College of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign to pursue a masters in aerospace engineering.
The true problem earlier than Akshata offered itself within the type of getting an aerospace job within the US with no citizenship or a inexperienced card. To be accepted as a doctoral candidate at MIT, she would wish some work expertise, she realized.
“I got here right here alone and didn’t have any assist. I stored doing analysis initiatives and publishing papers so as to add to my credentials to point out that I can create an impression. Each alternative I obtained was by no means luck or coincidence, it was by means of arduous work,” the engineer shares.
Whereas pursuing her masters, she began writing to professors at MIT that she needed to work with them for her PhD. It was solely on her third try that she was chosen.
“I honed my expertise and labored outdoors my curriculum however was nonetheless waitlisted as not all area initiatives can take overseas nationals since they’re funded by the US authorities and have restrictions. However after I was waitlisted the second time, I wrote to all of the professors at MIT asking for an opportunity to work with them for a yr. Lastly, I heard again from professor Sara Seager that there was a undertaking I may work on,” she provides.
Professor Seager is an astrophysicist and planetary scientist at MIT who focuses on exoplanet analysis, which is the invention of latest planets. She supplied her a brief analysis affiliate place for a yr.
At the moment, Akshata had two choices — take a well-paying job on the likes of Google or Amazon with out worrying about her visa or profession, or take a danger and work on a brand new analysis undertaking which was extremely thrilling.
It was a no brainer.
After working for a yr on exoplanet analysis, she utilized to the MIT PhD programme once more, and as they are saying, third time’s the appeal. Below Professor Seager, and in a fully-funded programme, she lastly obtained her PhD in 2020.
“My doctorate is in aeronautics and astronautics however I labored on the boundary of science and engineering, specializing in growing area telescopes and applied sciences to find new planets,” she explains.
She went on to work full-time on the NASA JPL, which, she shares, was additionally a serendipitous incidence.
“I labored there for 3 months as an intern and would meet with managers on a regular basis asking for a job. However no one may commit something to me with no inexperienced card because it includes a variety of paperwork and complexity,” she says.
The final day of her internship arrived however she nonetheless had no job presents or interviews. Fortunately, she had a presentation to offer that day. A hiring supervisor within the viewers was impressed with Akshata’s presentation and determined to offer her a job.
Even then, until the paperwork got here by means of, the scientist remembers that she couldn’t breathe straightforward.
When she entered NASA JPL as an worker in February 2020, that was one of many happiest days of her life.
As Akshata’s story is definitely inspirational, we ask, what stored her going?
“I used to be adamant about entering into NASA and doing no matter it took to succeed in that aim. There was no plan B. I made a decision to wager on myself. Failure was not an choice, besides, everytime I failed, I took the learnings from it, and did one thing totally different to proceed additional,” she says.
Realising that 1000’s of scholars in India want applicable steerage, she began channels on Instagram and YouTube.
Listed here are her 5 tricks to pursue a profession in area:
- Be curious.
“Begin by asking questions on all the things you see, take part in science initiatives in class, perceive how issues work and browse concerning the newest information within the area trade,” she advises.
“Do analysis initiatives, internships, get hands-on expertise and perceive how the trade works,” she provides.
- Construct a powerful basis.
Attempt to discover areas you’re obsessed with. “Even in area, there are totally different areas one can work on, like astrophysics, astronomy, expertise, engineering and extra. Work out which subject of area pursuits you,” she provides.
- Pursue superior levels.
When you’ve zeroed in in your pursuits, do a bachelors in science/engineering, masters and a PhD to equip your self.
- Develop technical/arms on expertise.
Given how vital AI and Machine studying (ML) has change into in the present day, it’s vital to develop these expertise, states Akshata. “Grasp coding expertise or do a robotics undertaking as these are going for use in area applied sciences being developed,” she mentions.
Full analysis initiatives in well-known institutes and develop experience in an space of curiosity.
- Community, Community, Community.
Attempt to construct knowledgeable community as early as potential by attending conferences, workshops, skilled seminars and talks.
“If there are any talks in planetariums or analysis institutes, ensure to attend them. You’ll be able to ask inquiries to individuals who’ve achieved what you need to. You can discover a mentor or it’s going to a minimum of enable you chart your path,” she says.
Edited by Padmashree Pande, Pictures Courtesy Akshata Krishnamurthy.
