Ex-ISRO scientist shares skills students need for space careers, explains role of maths, coding and AI

India’s growing space sector is opening up new career opportunities for students which are beyond rockets and satellites. With mathematics, coding, artificial intelligence and data science, they are becoming increasingly important in the field.

Gurpreet SinghGurpreet Singh, an IIT Roorkee graduate, a former ISRO scientist, and currently the Math Lead at Newton School of Technology, says students interested in space careers should first build a strong foundation in mathematics, physics, and programming.

Having worked for over seven years in ISRO’s Space Navigation Group on India’s NavIC system, Singh says these subjects play a direct role in solving real-world challenges in space missions. 28 Days on a ventilator, years in a wheelchair, then UPSC AIR 483: Know Dr Athira Sugathan’s extraordinary journey While speaking with HT Digital, Gurpreet explains the importance of maths, coding, and AI in the space sector; the skills students need for careers in space; lesser-known career opportunities in India’s space sector; and more.

Read the complete interview here: I worked in ISRO’s Space Navigation Group on NavIC, covering areas such as orbit determination, navigation estimation, filtering, inter-satellite links and time synchronisation. At the heart of this work is a simple question: where exactly is a satellite, and how fast is it moving?

We cannot observe it directly, so we combine signals received by ground stations with physics-based models of how objects move around Earth. The measurements contain noise and sensor errors, so mathematics helps us calculate the best possible estimate.

This is where differential equations, linear algebra, probability, statistics and Kalman filtering become very real. Coding converts these mathematical models into algorithms and operational software. That software is tested across thousands of scenarios for accuracy, stability and robustness because even a small error can propagate through the entire system.

UPSC Success Story: From IIT Kanpur to IAS at 21- know Shreya Shree’s journey of securing AIR 71 without coaching My first advice is: do not begin by trying to learn rocket science. Begin with the foundations that rocket science cannot do without.

Build a strong understanding of mathematics, particularly algebra, geometry, trigonometry and calculus. At a more advanced stage, focus on linear algebra, differential equations, probability, numerical methods and optimisation.

In physics, mechanics is an excellent starting point before moving into areas such as electronics, electromagnetism, optics or thermodynamics. Programming is the third foundation. Python is a good place to begin, but the objective is not to memorise syntax.

Students should learn to model, simulate, visualise and debug. For example, write a program that simulates a satellite orbit and observe what happens when its initial velocity changes. Systems thinking and communication matter too.

Spacecraft are built by multidisciplinary teams, so engineers must understand how their work affects other systems and explain their assumptions and limitations clearly. Yes, but it should not become another chapter in which students memorise mission names, launch vehicles and dates.

That would miss the opportunity completely. Space provides a powerful context for learning subjects that students often find abstract. A young student can begin with questions such as: Why does the Moon not fall on Earth?

Why does a satellite remain in orbit? How can a satellite measure temperature without touching an object? How does it help us track a cyclone? At school, such questions can connect gravity, geometry, conic sections, calculus and navigation to real applications.

At college, students can go further into orbital mechanics, control systems, signal processing, embedded systems and scientific computing. Most importantly, theory should be paired with experiments, simulations and real satellite data.

Students need to make mistakes early and learn how to investigate them. Real engineering begins when the answer is not already printed in the book. From IIT-BHU to Expedia and ISB: How Addya Joshi turned campus experiences into a career in product and technology A career in space is not limited to designing rockets or becoming an astronaut.

Every mission depends on a much larger ecosystem.