Meet the 2026 KISS Affiliates
Gaurav Waratkar
Postdoctoral researcher in the Division of Physics, Mathematics and Astronomy
Hometown: Nagpur, Maharashtra, India
Date of this Interview: December 20, 2025
What do you research?
I build space instruments and use them to study rapidly fading cosmic explosions. I am developing next-generation X-ray detectors for future space missions, designed to be more sensitive, handle more photons, and observe a wider range of energies, allowing deeper studies of the X-ray universe. I am also involved in building Cryoscope, the next-generation infrared telescope that will be deployed at Antarctica. Along with instrumentation, I develop fast and sensitive data-analysis pipelines to identify transients like gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) in missions like NuSTAR and AstroSat.
Why does space inspire you?
Studying the universe gives a strong sense of perspective about our place as a species. At the same time, the challenge to build something that can survive in these environments is a big driver for me. Both of them keep me hooked to space!
If you could instantly travel to any point in the universe, where would you choose to go?
Assuming survivability is not a concern, I would pick NGC4993 in a heartbeat! It is the site of the first-ever observed neutron-star merger that produced gravitational waves, a gamma-ray burst, and a kilonova. Seeing this historic marvel with my own eyes would be an incredible experience!
Where can you be found when you’re not conducting research?
You will likely find me playing sports, exploring national parks, watching live games in stadiums, or catching up with my friends back in India.
What book do you wish you could read for the first time again?
I am not a big bookworm but I have a soft spot for fast-paced fictional thrillers. Dan Brown’s “Da Vinci Code” was one of the first books that pulled me in and I would love to experience that suspense, goosebumps, and thrill all over again!
At the LIGO Livingston Observatory in Louisiana, USA (2024). LIGO is an extraordinary detector that measures the tiny changes in distance between two fixed points on Earth caused by the gravitational waves. These detectors are also extremely sensitive to other sources that can cause this distance to change — earthquakes, ocean waves, and even human activity. LIGO deploys extremely sensitive seismometers to measure these ground motions better and correct them. These seismometers (inside the aluminium pods in the background) will be used in the fifth observing run of LIGO, scheduled from 2028.