“When I say cultural choices, it’s like asking, ‘Should India participate in the Olympics?’ If India doesn’t participate, nothing happens. If it does, there’s no direct impact either,” the US-based astronomer and brother of philanthropist Sudha Murty said.
Taking note
Known for the discovery of the first millisecond pulsar, the first brown dwarf, Kulkarni acknowledged that India’s Astrostat mission (launched in 2023) is significant, but noted that India cannot yet be compared with the space capabilities of China and the US. “There’s a little bit of this — us loving ourselves into groups that we don’t belong to,” the astronomer said.Circling back to his Olympics analogy, Kulkarni said countries participate in the Olympics because there is an inherent urge to be seen as the best. “So, planting a flag on the moon or the south pole, I think, has a different dimension. I would put the whole space station in that category, it has no scientific benefits,” he added.
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The scientist also acknowledges ISRO’s contribution and said it is well respected because it has delivered what it set out to do. “Providing satellite communication and building a land management system for the country’s vast needs. These are straightforward, immediate goals addressing India’s economic and security priorities.”
For the professor, excellence is a key parameter in every domain, and since India lacks resources, the country should focus on strategic areas and look at becoming leaders in those.
Kulkarni also highlighted SpaceX’s reusable rockets as a game changer, noting that legacy companies like Boeing and Northrop are struggling to compete. “Their reusable technology is magnificent. The European Space Agency (ESA) and China haven’t adopted this yet. If SpaceX can launch at 10 times cheaper per kilogram to LEO or GEO, then you’re not in this business anymore,” he explained.
NASA’s space shuttle blunder
“I think NASA made a huge mistake with the space shuttle — it was an enormous waste of money,” said the astronomer whose primary interests are the study of cosmic explosions and developing new methodologies for astronomical research, adding that it is critical to make informed scientific choices.
Kulkarni also questioned the value of the International Space Station (ISS) for drug discovery and new materials, citing limited tangible results over its 20 years of habitation. “If there’s a need for microgravity, I’d love to see tangible results. But before that, tell me why such experiments can’t be conducted on earth. And if there’s big business or money to be made, who has truly profited from it?” he asked.
The scientist, who was awarded for his work on transient astronomical objects, however, acknowledged the importance of understanding the Sun-Earth interaction. “Given how much we rely on satellites now, even a single geomagnetic storm could cause significant disruptions. Today, it’s a global problem and almost an entire industry, including in India.”
Kulkarni pointed out the rise of satellite constellations like Starlink and OneWeb and the private industry’s role in avoiding satellite collisions.
India’s space astronomy efforts fall short
ESA and NASA have extremely large programmes, the Caltech professor said, and if India wants to compete with that, “either we increase the amount of money, or we compete differently — not head-on. Because that’s not practical”.
He also emphasised China’s rise in space astronomy. “They are very secretive about their missions and don’t advertise until it’s all done. But the country has risen extremely rapidly. China is launching major astronomy missions every six months or annually,” Kulkarni said.
He added that India needs a fundamental review of its research framework and to establish a fair and competitive system to evaluate proposals. “Research is mostly confined to standalone institutes, limiting opportunities for undergraduates and diluting the talent pool. This model needs to evolve to include teaching-focused universities with active research programmes.”
Kulkarni also recommended looking at models from the US, Japan, and Europe to adopt best practices in research and space science.