Ritu Karidhal

Last updated

Dr. Ritu Karidhal Srivastava
Ritu Karidal at ISRO.jpg
Ritu Karidhal at ISRO after Chandrayan mission
Born13 April 1975
Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
Alma mater University of Lucknow
Indian Institute of Science
OccupationScientist
Years active1997–present
Works Mars Orbiter Mission, Chandrayaan-2, Chandrayaan-3
SpouseAvinash Srivastava
ChildrenAditya, Anisha
AwardsISRO Young Scientist Award

Ritu Karidhal Srivastava is an Indian scientist and aerospace engineer working in the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). She was a Deputy Operations Director to India's Mars orbital mission, Mangalyaan. [1] She has been referred to as one of the many "Rocket Women" of India. Giving tribute to her excellence in Mangalayaan mission, a Bollywood film Mission Mangal was created where Indian actress Vidya Balan did her role. [2] [3]

Contents

Early life and family

Karidhal was born in Lucknow, [4] [5] Uttar Pradesh. She grew up in a middle-class family which placed great emphasis on education.She studied in St. Anjani's Public School in Lucknow. [4] She has two brothers and two sisters. [4] Lack of resources and unavailability of coaching institutions and tuitions left her to rely only on her self motivation to succeed. [4] As a child, she knew that her interest was in the space sciences. Gazing at the night sky for hours and thinking about outer space, she wondered about the moon, as to how it changes its shape and size; studied the stars and wanted to know what lay behind the dark space. [6] In her teens, she started collecting newspaper cuttings about any space-related activity and kept track of the activities of ISRO and NASA. [7]

Karidhal completed her B. Sc. in Physics from University of Lucknow. [8] She Completed her M. Sc. in Physics from University of Lucknow and got enrolled in a doctorate course in the Physics Department. She later taught in the same department. She was a research scholar at Lucknow University for six months. She joined IISc, Bangalore, to pursue masters in aerospace engineering. [9] [10]

She has been conferred honoris causa (an honorary doctorate) D.Sc by Lucknow University during annual convocation 2019. [11]

Career

Ritu Karidhal has worked for ISRO since 1997. [4] 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. [8] She was also the Deputy Operations Director of this mission. [5]

Mangalyan was one of the greatest achievements of ISRO. [4] It made India the fourth country in the world to reach Mars. [4] It was done in 18 months time and at a far lesser cost to the taxpayers - ₹450 crores only. [4] Her job was to conceptualize and execute the craft's onward autonomy system, which operated the satellite's functions independently in space and responded appropriately to malfunctions. [4]

She supervised the Chandrayaan 2 mission as the mission director. [12] [13]

When the United Kingdom assumed presidency of the G7 in 2021, Karidhal was appointed by the country's Minister for Women and Equalities Liz Truss to a newly formed Gender Equality Advisory Council (GEAC) chaired by Sarah Sands. [14]

Again in 2023, India launched the Chandrayaan-3 mission to land on the lunar South pole and finally India became the first country to soft land on the lunar South pole. Ritu Karidhal too worked for the same mission and led India to this huge success.

Recognition

Karidhal received the UP Gaurav Samman award from Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on UP Day, 24th January 2024.

Karidhal received the ISRO Young Scientist Award in 2007 from A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, the president of India. [15]

Karidhal has also presented at TED and TEDx events describing the success of the Mars Orbiter Mission. [5] [16]

Karidhal was awarded an honorary doctorate by the Lucknow University, her alma mater. It was conferred by Governor Anandiben Patel. [17]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ISRO</span> Indian national space and aeronautics agency

Indian Space Research Organisation is India's national space agency. It serves as the principal research and development arm of the Department of Space (DoS), overseen by the Prime Minister of India, with the Chairman of ISRO also serving as the chief executive of the DoS. It is primarily responsible for space-based operations, space exploration, international space cooperation and the development of related technologies. The agency maintains a constellation of imaging, communication and remote sensing satellites. It operates the GAGAN and IRNSS satellite navigation systems. It has sent three missions to the Moon and one mission to Mars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Satish Dhawan Space Centre</span> Spaceport in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, India

Satish Dhawan Space Centre – SDSC, is the primary spaceport of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), located in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mylswamy Annadurai</span> Indian scientist (born 1958)

Mylswamy Annadurai is an Indian scientist working as vice president for Tamil Nadu State Council for Science and Technology, Chairman, Board of Governors, National Design and Research Forum. He is often dubbed as the "Moon Man of India".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LVM3</span> Indian expendable medium-lift launch vehicle, developed by ISRO

The Launch Vehicle Mark-3 or LVM3 is a three-stage medium-lift launch vehicle developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Primarily designed to launch communication satellites into geostationary orbit, it is also due to launch crewed missions under the Indian Human Spaceflight Programme. LVM3 has a higher payload capacity than its predecessor, GSLV.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indian Deep Space Network</span> Observatory

Indian Deep Space Network (IDSN) is a network of large antennas and communication facilities operated by the Indian Space Research Organisation to support the interplanetary spacecraft missions of India. Its hub is located at Byalalu, Ramanagara in the state of Karnataka in India. It was built under the leadership of S K Shivakumar, the then ISTRAC Director and inaugurated on 17 October 2008 by the former ISRO chairman G. Madhavan Nair.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chandrayaan-2</span> Ongoing Indian lunar orbiter mission

Chandrayaan-2 is the second lunar exploration mission developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) after Chandrayaan-1. It consists of a lunar orbiter, the Vikram lunar lander, and the Pragyan rover, all of which were developed in India. The main scientific objective is to map and study the variations in lunar surface composition, as well as the location and abundance of lunar water.

Byalalu is a village in Bangalore south District in Karnataka, India. It is an hour's drive from Bangalore city, off the Bangalore-Mysore highway. The population was reported as 2,300 in the 2011 Indian census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Koppillil Radhakrishnan</span> Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation

K. Radhakrishnan a.k.a. Koppillil Radhakrishnan is an Indian space scientist who headed the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) as Chairman of Space Commission, Secretary of the Department of Space, Government of India. Under his leadership, India became the first country to reach Mars in its first attempt.

Thekkethil Kochandy Alex is an Indian space scientist. He was the director of the ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC) of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) (2008–2012) and Member, Space Commission. He specialized in electro-optic systems and satellite technology. Starting with the first Indian satellite Aryabhata, he has been responsible for the sensor systems in all the Indian satellites. Under his leadership the Laboratory for Electro Optics Systems (LEOS) was established in 1993 and from the inception he was its director till 2008. He was conferred "Dr. Vikram Sarabhai Distinguished Professorship" in 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mars Orbiter Mission</span> Indian orbiter mission to Mars (2013–2022)

Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM), unofficially known as Mangalyaan, was a space probe orbiting Mars since 24 September 2014. It was launched on 5 November 2013 by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It was India's first interplanetary mission and it made ISRO the fourth space agency to achieve Mars orbit, after Soviet space program, NASA, and the European Space Agency. It made India the first Asian nation to reach Martian orbit and the second national space agency in the world to do so on its maiden attempt after the European Space Agency did in 2003. It also made India the fourth nation to orbit another planet after the United States, the Soviet Union, and ESA member states.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Subbiah Arunan</span> Indian scientist and Padma Shri awardee

Subbiah Arunan is an Indian scientist and Padma Shri awardee, known for his role in the Mars Orbiter Mission of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). He finished his schooling in St. Mary's Higher Secondary School, Vikramasingapuram in Tirunelveli Dist. He was born in Kothaiseri, Tirunelveli district, Tamil Nadu and completed his Mechanical engineering from Coimbatore Institute of Technology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A. S. Kiran Kumar</span> Indian Space Scientist

Aluru Seelin Kiran Kumar is an Indian space scientist and former chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation, having assumed office on 14 January 2015. He is credited with the development of key scientific instruments aboard the Chandrayaan-1 and Mangalyaan space crafts. In 2014, he was awarded the Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian award, for his contributions to the fields of science and technology. Kiran Kumar previously served as Director of Ahmedabad Space Applications Centre.

Mars Lander Mission (MLM) or Mangalyaan-2, is a proposed second mission to Mars by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

Nandini Harinath is a scientist.

Minal Rohit is an Indian scientist and systems engineer with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). She helped send the Mangalyaan space probe to Mars.

Moumita Dutta is an Indian Physicist working at the Space Applications Centre (SAC), Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) - Ahmedabad, as a scientist/engineer. She has expertise in the development and testing of the Optical and IR sensors/instruments/payloads. She was part of the team Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) to put a probe into orbit around Mars in 2014. She contributed significantly in the development of one of the five payloads of MOM.

<i>Mission Mangal</i> 2019 film directed by Jagan Shakti

Mission Mangal is a 2019 Indian drama film directed by Jagan Shakti and produced by Cape of Good Films, Hope Productions, Fox Star Studios, Aruna Bhatia and Anil Naidu. Loosely based on the life of scientists at the Indian Space Research Organisation who contributed to India's first interplanetary expedition Mars Orbiter Mission, it stars an ensemble cast of Akshay Kumar, Vidya Balan, Sonakshi Sinha, Nithya Menen, Kirti Kulhari, Sharman Joshi amd Taapsee Pannu in lead roles alongside H. G. Dattatreya, Vikram Gokhale, Dalip Tahil, Sanjay Kapoor and Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub amongst others in supporting roles.

Muthayya Vanitha is an Indian electronics system engineer who has led projects on satellites at the Indian Space Research Organization. She was the project director of the Chandrayaan-2 lunar mission of the ISRO.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indian Mars exploration missions</span> Indian space missions aimed at Mars

The Indian Mars exploration missions are an ongoing series of outer space missions by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for the exploration of Mars. The exploration is currently in the primary phase with Orbiter missions.

References

  1. ↑ "MOM has completed a revolution around Mars, ISRO scientist says - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  2. ↑ "India's rocket women". Deccan Chronicle. 26 February 2017. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  3. ↑ "India's Rocket Women: Meet The Women Of ISRO – Rocket Women". rocket-women.com. 9 April 2016. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Ritu Karidhal, the Woman Behind Mangalyaan, Tells the Most Passionate Story of India's Mars Mission". iDiva.com. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  5. 1 2 3 "Ritu Karidhal - TEDxGateway | Independently Organized TED Event". TEDxGateway | Independently Organized TED Event. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  6. ↑ "8 Awesome ISRO Scientists Who Happen To Be Women". indiatimes.com. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  7. ↑ "The women of ISRO". VOGUE India. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  8. 1 2 "ISRO scientist Ritu Karidhal's Mars Mission". femina.in. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  9. ↑ "University of Lucknow to honour Chandrayaan-2 director Ritu Karidhal". Business Standard India. Press Trust of India. 26 July 2019. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  10. ↑ "Lucknow University Recommends Chandrayaan-2 Director Ritu Karidhal's Name for Highest Honour". www.news18.com. 27 July 2019. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  11. ↑ "ISRO scientist conferred Honoris Causa by Lucknow University". Hindustan Times. 15 October 2019. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  12. ↑ "Who is Chandrayaan 2's mission director Ritu Karidhal?". Timesnownews.com. 7 September 2019.
  13. ↑ "From Lucknow to the moon: How Ritu Karidhal took on the Chandrayaan-2 challenge". The New Indian Express.
  14. ↑ G7 Gender Equality Advisory Council membership announced Government of the United Kingdom, press release of April 9, 2021.
  15. ↑ "Ritu Karidhal". WEF. 28 June 2018. Retrieved 16 February 2019.
  16. ↑ TEDx Talks (28 June 2016), The Indian Mars Orbiter Mission Story | Ritu Karidhal | TEDxHyderabad , retrieved 16 February 2019
  17. ↑ "Chandrayaan-2 Director Ritu Karidhal Srivastava gets honorary doctorate from alma mater Lucknow Uni". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 20 October 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.