Meet The Woman Who Leads India's "Manned Mission" To Space

[ayesha.a]

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/mee...-space-bengaluru-1902852?pfrom=home-topscroll

Bengaluru:

When Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced India's first human space flights mission on a rocket built by ISRO on Independence Day last week, a widely-appreciated clause was his promise that it could be a "son or a daughter" who would take the Indian flag to outer space. At the Indian Space Research Organisation or ISRO, a part of PM Modi's promise has already been kept. The space agency has deputed Dr VR Lalithambika, an experienced engineer, to head the astronaut program.

A skilled taskmaster, control systems engineer Dr Lalithambika has spent three decades at ISRO and has been tasked to send an Indian astronaut in space by 2022.

She has worked on all Indian rockets Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) and indigenous space shuttle. The 56-year-old studied in Kerala and has two children.

ISRO Chief Dr K Sivan said, "At ISRO, we choose people to head programs based on competence and Dr Lalithambika has the right set of skillsets to lead the human space program."

Other colleagues at ISRO endorsed Dr Lalthambika's leadership qualities.

It may well be that on the first flight into space from Sriharikota, India may use its highly-skilled test pilots from the Indian Air Force.

The only Indian citizen to have flown into space is Wing Commander (Retd) Rakesh Sharma who flew into space in 1984 on a Russian mission. Since then, two women of Indian origin but American citizens Kalpana Chawla and Sunita Williams have also flown into space.

Indian women engineers have a glowing past in India's rocket programmes. It was India's "Agniputri" Tessy Thomas who ably led the Agni-4 and Agni 5 missile programmes. Dr Shashikala Sinha headed the program to secure India from incoming ballistic missiles. Both work at the Defenece Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). In addition, the seniormost official at DRDO, Dr J Manjula, an avionics expert, is tipped to head the DRDO next.

 

[Crixus]

Yatra naryastu pujyante ramante tatra Devata .......... Mam you have already motivated a lot of youth in India

 

[war&peace]

Wow... a good motivation for women. Appreciated and respect from Pakistan.

 

[KapitaanAli]

Here are five things you should know about the lady:

Source: Twitter/ The Life of Science.
1. VR Lalithambika has a Master’s degree in Control Engineering. She started her career at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala in 1988 and undertook several research projects there.

2. Her team works on optimising fuel for rockets such as the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) and Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV).


3. She has 30 years of work experience with ISRO. Today, she is a core team member of the autopilot designers for PSLV and both launches of the GSLV.

Representative image of a PSLV. Source: DD.
4. Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, about ISRO’s successful missions, and her experience of working with such an esteemed organisation, VR Lalithambika said, “It is extremely satisfying to work in this organisation because even juniors are allowed to voice their ideas and concerns, and every mission is achieved through teamwork so that nobody’s ego comes in the way. We have set an example for all organisations, private or government, that teamwork matters most to achieve the most challenging goal.”


5. Her team undertook perhaps their most ambitious mission when they launched 104 satellites into space. It was an end-to-end test of all their systems. With several simulations on computers, preparations for the worst possible conditions and ensuring that each satellite stays in its right orbit without colliding with another, the team had a great task at hand. When the mission concluded, the team and ISRO won acclaim from across the globe.

 

[Papa Dragon]

This is what women empowerment should be