About me

Hi, I’m Pradeep.

I’m a male, 38, living in Pune. I’m a husband and a father to two children. I like to read and write.

I earn a living working as a technical writer – I love technology and I love to write. This job brings them together in an awesome way. I am a space enthusiast – my wife says space is my first wife.

Before this job, I worked with a shipping company, a shipyard, and a public sector bank.

I have maintained some version of this blog since 2006 on various blogging platforms.

The byline of this blog comes from Carl Sagan’s opening in his book, Cosmos:

The surface of the Earth is the shore of the cosmic ocean. From it we have learned most of what we know. Recently, we have waded a little out to sea, enough to dampen our toes or, at most, wet our ankles. The water seems inviting. The ocean calls. Some part of our being knows this is from where we came. We long to return.

Carl Sagan, Cosmos

I write two weekly newsletter, Pradeep’s Space Newsletter and Towards Eternity. [Both on a break now]

My articles:

  1. India in Space: A monthly update of Indian space activities that I write for The Hindu. (editor: Vasudevan Mukunth)
  2. Should India sign the Artemis Accords?, The Wire Science, June 29, 2021 (editor: Vasudevan Mukunth).
  3. India needs a more transparent approach to Space Situational Awareness, The Wire Science, December 11, 2020 (editor: Vasudevan Mukunth).
  4. India in Space through 2019: From RISAT, ASAT and Chandrayaan 2 to big wins for Private Space, Firstpost, Dec 25, 2019 (editor: Kavya Narayanan).
  5. Despite the Great IRS Tech, India’s Remote-Sensing Programme Remains a Downer, The Wire, November 28, 2019 (editor: Vasudevan Mukunth).
  6. The GSLV Must pick up where the PSLV left off, The Wire, July 10, 2015 (editor: Vasudevan Mukunth).
  7. ISRO @ 40, CNN-IBN blog, August 14, 2009 (editor: Jaimon Joseph).

Podcast:

  1. Does the Government spend as promised? – All Things Policy, March 11, 2021.
  2. Reaching the Heavens, via India – All Things Policy, February 24, 2021.
  3. Launching India’s Startups into Orbit – All Things Policy, January 20, 2021.
  4. What are China’s Lunar Ambitions? – All Things Policy, December 18, 2020.

Research Articles:

  1. Takshashila Policy Advisory – Comments to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology, Environment, Forests and Climate Change on Demand for Grants (DFGs) in the Union Budget for FY 2022-23, March 2022
  2. Comments to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology, Environment, Forests and Climate Change on Demand for Grants (DFGs) in the Union Budget for FY 2021-22, March 2021.
  3. SEDSAT-2: DESIGNING AND DEVELOPING A STUDENT PICOSATELLITE THROUGH INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION, IAC 2007.
  4. Students for Exploration and Development of Space, an international student framework, IAC 2006.

Lists