Meet India's Rocket Woman Dr. Ritu Karidhal

Dr. Ritu Karidhal is an Indian scientist working with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). She has been referred to as one of the many "Rocket Women" of India. She was born and brought up in Lucknow and is an aerospace engineer.

Early life and education

- Dr. Karidhal was born in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. She grew up in a middle-class family which placed great emphasis on education.

- As a child, she knew that her interest was in the space sciences. She collected newspaper cuttings about any space-related activity and kept track of the activities of ISRO and NASA.

- She completed her B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Physics from University of Lucknow. She later joined IISc, Bangalore, to pursue masters in aerospace engineering.

- She has been conferred honoris causa (an honorary doctorate) D.Sc by Lucknow University during annual convocation 2019.

Career and achievements

- Dr. Karidhal has worked for ISRO since 1997.

- She played a key role in the development of India's Mars Orbiter Mission, Mangalyaan, dealing with the detailing and the execution of the craft's onward autonomy system. She was also the Deputy Operations Director of this mission.

- Mangalyan was one of the greatest achievements of ISRO. It made India the fourth country in the world to reach Mars. It was done in 18 months time and at a far lesser cost to the taxpayers - ₹450 crores only.

- She supervised the Chandrayaan 2 mission as the mission director. The primary objective of this mission was to explore the south pole of the moon.

- She is leading the Chandrayaan 3 mission, which is India's third lunar mission launched on July 14, 2023. The mission aims to achieve a soft landing on the moon and deploy a rover to study its surface.

| Award | Year | Presented by |

| --- | --- | --- |

| ISRO Young Scientist Award | 2007 | A.P.J Abdul Kalam |

| ISRO Team Award for MOM | 2015 | ISRO |

| ASI Team Award | 2017 | Astronautical Society of India |

| Women Achievers in Aerospace | 2017 | Society of Indian Aerospace Technologies & Industries (SIATI) |

Inspiration and vision

Dr. Karidhal has always been fascinated by space and aspired to do something unique. She believes that space exploration can benefit humanity in many ways, such as providing resources, enhancing communication, and inspiring future generations.

She has also been a role model for many young girls and women who want to pursue careers in science and technology. She encourages them to follow their dreams and work hard to achieve them.

She has said, "The sky is not the limit for us."

Source:

(1) Ritu Karidhal - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ritu_Karidhal.

(2) Who is Dr. Ritu Karidhal? The Inspiring 'Rocket Woman ... - Oneindia. https://www.oneindia.com/india/who-is-dr-ritu-karidhal-the-inspiring-rocket-woman-driving-indias-chandrayaan-3-moon-mission-3584678.html.

(3) Who is Ritu Karidhal, the woman behind ISRO's Chandrayaan-3 mission - MSN. https://www.msn.com/en-in/news/India/who-is-ritu-karidhal-the-woman-behind-isro-s-chandrayaan-3-mission/ar-AA1dQOiE.