‘Women scientists chose Chandrayaan-3 moon landing spot’
Ritu emphasised the uniqueness of India’s Chandrayaan mission, pointing out that no other country had ventured to the Moon’s south pole.
LUCKNOW ISRO scientist Ritu Karidhal Srivastava, fondly known as the ‘Rocket Woman of India’, revealed that the Chandrayaan-3 lunar mission’s landing site, the ‘Shiv Shakti Point,’ was chosen by women scientists. Despite the presence of men on her team, women played a pivotal role in this groundbreaking achievement, the 48-year-old scientist added.
Born and educated in Lucknow, Ritu shared this insight while being felicitated by chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday, alongside two other distinguished women -- Roshni Nadar Malhotra, the chairperson of HCL Technologies, and Padma Shri Hama Prabha Sotia, a handloom weaver from Assam. This recognition took place at the Mission Shakti 4.0 launch event.
Ritu emphasised the uniqueness of India’s Chandrayaan mission, pointing out that no other country had ventured to the Moon’s south pole. She explained that this region presented unparalleled challenges due to its deep craters, rugged terrain, and the necessity for the lander to receive sunlight. Without sunlight, the spacecraft would be rendered inoperable.
The daunting task of selecting a suitable landing site and designing a plan for the craft to reach it fell to Ritu and her team, a task they successfully accomplished. On April 23, Chandrayaan-3 touched down at the location now known as the ‘Shiv Shakti Point’ on the Moon, earning a resounding applause from chief minister Yogi Adityanath and the entire auditorium.
Ritu’s educational journey included a BSc in Physics and an MSc in the same subject from Lucknow University. She then pursued an ME in aerospace engineering at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru before joining the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
Her notable contributions include serving as the deputy operations director for India’s successful Mars orbital mission, Mangalyaan, and as the mission director for the Chandrayaan-2 Moon Mission. Ritu played a vital role in the Chandrayaan-3 mission as well.
Reflecting on the challenges of these space missions, Ritu emphasised their uniqueness. She noted that they lacked the luxury of ‘heritage knowledge,’ pre-existing books, or written materials for guidance. Instead, each mission required them to evolve their plans from scratch.
Ritu also discussed the triumph of Mangalyaan, where they had a mere 18 months to complete the mission. Failure would have resulted in a two-year wait due to the changing position of Mars in space. Additionally, communication with the spacecraft took 25 to 30 minutes, making micro-management impossible. Consequently, the system was designed to be self-diagnostic, capable of identifying and resolving problems independently. Notably, the ‘autonomy’ of the Mangalyaan mission, including planning and testing, was predominantly led by women scientists under Ritu’s project management.
Ritu drew parallels between space missions and the Uttar Pradesh government’s Mission Shakti program, emphasising their shared mission-oriented approach to achieving their respective goals, whether exploring the cosmos or advancing the safety, dignity, and self-reliance of women in the state.
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Handloom weaver Padma Shri Hema Prabha Sotia expressed gratitude and humility, noting her first-time Hindi speech. She emphasised dedication over scale in work. She celebrated women’s achievements across leadership roles and their vital role in nurturing families and communities.
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