Int’l Women’s Day: Chandrayaan-3 Moon Mission’s ‘women stars’ to be feted in Mumbai

MUMBAI — In a unique programme, a Mumbai-based institution will felicitate eight top women scientists and others who were part of the historic Chandrayaan-3 moon mission of July 2023, as part of the International Women’s Day celebrations, an official said here on Thursday.

The ‘women stars’ of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), who were part of the successful Chandrayaan moon mission shall be honoured by the Shanmukhananda Fine Arts & Sangeetha Sabha, its women’s wing and the South Indian Education Society, at a special function in Shanmukhananda Hall, on Sunday.

Their success in ensuring the soft-landing of Chandrayaan on the moon earned them laurels from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and countrymen, as well as people across the world.

The eight women scientists are — Associate Project Director and second-in-command Kalpana Kalahasthi, who played a pivotal role in the soft landing on the lunar surface; Project Director and Mission Designer Nandini Harinath; Project Director Aditya L1 Mission Nihar Shaji and also head of the Satellite Telemetry Centre at ISRO; Project Manager Dr. Madhavi S. Thakre, of the entire process from conception to implementation.

There will be the Deputy Director, Avionics Athulya S. Devi, who is experienced in launch vehicle avionics system; Group Director, Propulsion & Electronics Revathi Harikrishnan, who successfully led the team for the lander propulsion control electronics for the precise soft landing of Chandrayaan – 3; Group Director ISRO Inertial System Unit Usha K. who was involved in the design development of electronics and realisation of sensors and associated systems; and Associate Director Kalpana Arvind, who was also responsible for path planning stereo vision cameras and rover payload.

ISRO Chairman S. Somanath and Lunar Mission leader, as well as P. Veeramuthuvel who was the Project Director of Chandrayaan – 3, shall also be felicitated on the occasion by the organisers.

The mega-event shall be followed by a dance ballet ‘DURGA’ by Hema Malini and artistes of the Natyavihar Kalakendra, said a spokesperson for the organisers, K.A. Viswanathan.