Young Kiwi Indians Enter NASA, Put NZ In Space Conversation

“Agar kisi cheez ko dil se chaho, toh puri kainaat usse tumse milane ki koshish mein lag jaati hai,” says Shivam Desai, a Master of Aerospace student at the University of Auckland, quoting the famous dialogue from Om Shanti Om as he reflects on his dream coming true.

“Don’t let rejection be your final answer,” he adds—a line that defines his journey to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).

Equally driven is Taran John, 25, a PhD student in Applied Computer Vision at Victoria University of Wellington, who has also secured a prestigious spot at JPL.

Shivam Desai, 24, and Taran John, 25, have both secured coveted internships at JPL.

Everywhere you go, there’s always an Indian-origin name making headlines—and often, for all the right reasons. Closer to home, Kiwi-Indians continue to raise the bar. Shivam and Taran are the latest names making the community proud—two young men who’ve taken their passion for science straight to one of the most prestigious space institutions in the world.

Shivam Desai/Photo: Supplied

The three-month placement is not only a dream come true for them, it’s also a moment of pride for New Zealand’s growing space sector.

For both Shivam and Taran, getting a foot in the door at NASA is more than just a career milestone. It’s a step towards putting New Zealand on the map in global space research.

It is an exciting opportunity to be working with the best in the industry, they said, acknowledging how the learning and exposure they are receiving can be brought back to New Zealand.

For Shivam, the focus is on how the skills picked up during the internship can be applied locally. “Learning skills at the internship, he says, are going to be valuable and something he ‘can bring back and implement within NZ’s rapidly growing space sector.’”

Taran John/Photo: Supplied

“I’m learning heaps, getting to see and contribute [to] some amazing projects, and meeting some extraordinary people,” Shivam shared.

Taran is equally engaged. “I'm already hands-on, doing experiments and building some really cool systems with a lot of support from my mentor and the entire research team,” he said.

The sentiment both interns echo is simple—there’s no better way forward than learning directly from the best. And internships like these only help further that goal, not just for themselves, but for New Zealand.

Their Kiwi-Indian upbringing played a crucial role in shaping who they are today. For Shivam, a trip to India in 2023 proved to be pivotal.

“I travelled to India for three months over summer in 2023 where I worked under a family friend and there I saw a mindset I hadn’t really seen before. This practice of constantly learning and bettering your skill set,” Shivam shared.

Taran credits his academic direction to the role models he grew up around. “My parents, grandparents, and extended family are all extremely well-educated. That made it easier to believe that a life of academic success was attainable, and that it could be balanced with enjoyment, friends, and a diverse range of experiences.”

Photo: Supplied

Like many, their interest in science was sparked back in Intermediate school. But a defining moment came for Shivam when NASA first released images of black holes.

“I remember being in awe,” he said. That’s when he knew where he wanted to be.

Though from different universities, the two now share not just a country of origin, but also a flat and a once-in-a-lifetime internship experience. They work on different teams at JPL—Shivam is with the mechatronics team, while Taran works with the AI team—but that hasn’t stopped them from becoming good friends.

They’ve “connected over both the incredible experience of interning at JPL and flatting together for the duration of the internship.”

The excitement hasn’t worn off since the moment they found out they’d been selected.

“I was left quite speechless actually,” Shivam recalled. “It was Papa’s birthday and I was on the way home from uni on the train when I got the call. I don’t think it hit me until just before coming to the US.”

Looking ahead, both have a clear vision for the kind of impact they hope to make.

“Ideally, this work will also lead to a scientific publication. Beyond that, I hope to continue collaborating with the team here and build upon this research in the future,” said Taran.

Shivam added, “I hope to be able to contribute to JPL’s [work] and maybe even one day see the projects I have a part in get carried out. That would honestly be the most rewarding thing to see.”

From Kiwi classrooms to NASA labs, Shivam and Taran’s journey is more than just individual success. It’s a quiet but powerful reminder that New Zealand, with its growing community of Kiwi-Indian minds, is very much a part of the global space conversation.