Aniket Jagtap for Mission: SPACE

Space wasn’t ever connected Aniket Jagtap’s radar.

“I ne'er thought of abstraction arsenic my profession erstwhile I was a kid,” Aniket says. 

“My first inspiration was to subordinate nan Defence Force and activity connected combatant jets and aircraft, which sparked my passion for aerospace and led maine to prosecute my master’s successful this field.”

“Aeronautical engineering aliases craft creation utilized to beryllium my favourite subjects. I was particularly drawn to creating and building things that run wrong Earth’s atmosphere.”

HEAD AND HEART IN THE CLOUDS

Aniket completed a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering successful India, but his passion for aerospace led him to Australia successful 2013.

After completing a Master of Aerospace Engineering astatine nan University of Adelaide, he worked arsenic a investigation adjunct astatine nan university.

“I continued moving arsenic a investigation adjunct while juggling different part-time jobs, for illustration galore different world students,” Aniket explains.

“To unafraid a master engineering domiciled successful Australia, nan minimum request was imperishable residency status.

“It took astir 3 years aft completing my master’s to get it, but I ne'er gave up connected my aspiration to activity arsenic a master technologist successful Australia.”

Soon after, Aniket moved to nan backstage sector, taking connected a scope of roles – from processing an business drone strategy designed to cleanable high-rise building windows to moving arsenic an engineering advisor connected vibration, acoustics and biology engineering.

Caption: In nan backstage sector, Aniket worked connected vibration, acoustics and biology engineering 
Credit: Supplied by Aniket Jagtap

“Within 2 years of obtaining my imperishable residency, I besides became an Australian citizen,” Aniket says.

“This milestone yet opened nan doorway for maine to activity successful nan aerospace sector, fulfilling nan very aspiration that had driven maine to migrate and study aerospace engineering successful Australia.”

Driven by his long-standing aspiration to activity successful nan aerospace field, Aniket applied to nan Australian Defence Force.

Guided by his passion for moving connected aircraft, he chose to prosecute an aeronautical and armament engineering domiciled pinch nan RAAF.

During nan recruitment process, different breathtaking opportunity emerged – this clip pinch nan Australian Space Agency.  

“When I saw nan Australian Space Agency’s advertisement for a systems engineering role, I recognised a nonstop opportunity to lend to nan nationalist liking successful abstraction and beryllium portion of nan increasing abstraction industry. I applied immediately,” Aniket says.

LAUNCHING INTO SPACE

Today, Aniket is simply a Senior Systems Engineer astatine nan Australian Space Agency.

Part of his domiciled is to support improvement of Australia’s first lunar rover ngo – nan Roo-ver Mission – group to scope nan Moon by nan extremity of this decade.

“The Roo-ver Mission intends to show foundational services connected nan lunar aboveground – basal capabilities for sustaining quality beingness connected nan Moon,” he explains.

“These see nan improvement of habitats, harnessing section resources specified arsenic h2o and building materials.

“Together, these elements will shape nan backbone of semipermanent quality endurance and operations successful space.

“It’s a portion of NASA’s Artemis program, which is focused connected returning humans to nan Moon, establishing a sustainable beingness and preparing for early missions to Mars.”

Caption: Aniket develops infrastructure to support Australia’s first lunar rover mission
Credit: Supplied by Aniket Jagtap

Aniket is besides passionate astir nan improvement of technologies to harness abstraction resources, which could beryllium important for interplanetary travel.

“One of nan things we request to do is to place different resources connected nan lunar aboveground and create methods to harness these resources,” he says.

“One of nan astir important resources is water, which tin service arsenic a mean to prolong life connected nan lunar surface.

“Launching missions straight from Earth to Mars is highly resource-intensive and costly. However, utilizing nan Moon arsenic a staging constituent could importantly trim these challenges, making recreation to Mars much businesslike and feasible.”

TO INFINITY AND BEYOND

The world abstraction manufacture has grown quickly successful caller years, pinch rising liking successful exploring nan galaxy.

“Today, respective companies are actively promoting abstraction tourism, while others are exploring really plants turn successful space,” Aniket says.

“Additionally, immoderate organisations are conducting aesculapian experiments successful abstraction to amended understand really nan unsocial situation affects quality wellness and biologic processes.

“Space has expanded, and abstraction is going to turn from here.”

Caption: The manufacture has grown pinch rising liking successful exploring space
Credit: Supplied by Aniket Jagtap

Aniket believes this will unfastened up moreover much opportunities to activity successful nan industry.

“Today, abstraction is for everyone,” he says.

“Whether you study mechanical, electronics, mechatronics, civilian aliases package engineering, there’s a spot for you successful nan abstraction industry.

“Your skills could 1 time thief motorboat satellites, build lunar habitats aliases moreover support missions to Mars.

“The possibilities are arsenic immense arsenic abstraction itself.”

Aniket is progressive successful nan Mission: SPACE programme delivered by Scitech and powered by nan Australian Space Agency. You tin registry for this nationwide virtual excursion here.