National Space Day 2024: Meet India's Female Astronauts and Scientists Breaking Barriers

New Delhi: On National Space Day 2024, India not only celebrates its growing prowess in space exploration but also honours the trailblazing women who have made significant contributions to this journey. From astronauts to scientists, Indian women have been at the forefront of some of the most groundbreaking projects in the space history of India, challenging stereotypes and setting new benchmarks in a traditionally male-dominated field.

India Celebrates 1st National Space Day: Origin, Theme, Significance

Kalpana Chawla

One of the most iconic figures in India’s space history is Kalpana Chawla, the first woman of Indian origin to travel to space. Born in Haryana, Chawla journeyed from a small town to NASA’s space shuttles Columbia and Endeavour. Although her life was tragically cut short during the Columbia disaster in 2003, her legacy continues to inspire millions of young girls in India to dream big and reach for the stars.

Kalpana Chawla (17 March 1962 – 1 February 2003) was an Indian-born American astronaut and aerospace engineer who was the first woman of Indian origin to fly to space. She first flew on Space Shuttle Columbia in 1997 as a mission specialist and primary robotic arm operator aboard STS-87.

Sunita Williams: Bridging India and America in Space

Sunita Lyn Williams, another astronaut of Indian descent, has made significant contributions to space exploration. Born to an Indian father and Slovenian mother, Williams holds the record for the longest spaceflight by a woman, spending 195 days aboard the International Space Station (ISS) during her mission in 2006-2007. She is an American astronaut, United States Navy officer, and former record holder for most spacewalks by a woman (seven) and most spacewalk time for a woman (50 hours, 40 minutes). Her father, Deepak Pandya, was an Indian-born neuroanatomist from Mehsana district, Gujarat, while her mother, Ursuline Bonnie Pandya (née Zalokar) was a Slovene-American

Muthayya Vanitha: The Women Behind Chandrayaan-2

The success of ISRO’s Chandrayaan-2 mission in 2019 brought to light the crucial role of women in India’s space program. Muthayya Vanitha, the first woman to lead an interplanetary mission at ISRO, served as the Project Director for Chandrayaan-2. She is an Indian electronics system engineer who has led projects on satellites at the Indian Space Research Organization. She hails from Chennai. She completed her schooling at Boiler Plant School Trichy. he graduated from the College of Engineering, Guindy. Vanitha has worked at ISRO for over three decades.

Ritu Karidhal: The Rocket Woman of India

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

Tanisha Bhatia

Another outstanding female scientist is Tanisha Bhatia, who joined ISRO in 2014 and served as the Project Manager of the Sensor Team for the Lunar Lander Chandrayaan-3. She studied at DPS Ghaziabad, Meerut and earned a BTech from the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST) in Trivandrum.

Kalpana Kalahasti

Born in 1974, K Kalpana of Chennai is an Indian scientist and Electronics and Communication Engineer working in the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). In 2000, she joined ISRO as a scientist. Initially, Kalpana worked on various satellite projects and played a key role in the successful launch of several communication and remote sensing satellites. She became a part of the Chandrayaan-2 mission a landmark project for ISRO. In 2019, she was appointed as the Associate Project Director of the Chandrayaan-3 mission and was instrumental in designing and optimizing the lunar lander systems.

Dr. Tessy Thomas: India’s Missile Woman

Dr. Tessy Thomas, often referred to as the "Missile Woman of India," has been a key figure in India’s defence and space sectors. As the Director General of Aeronautical Systems at the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), she played a vital role in the Agni missile program.

She was born in April 1963 in Alappuzha, Kerala. She is an Indian scientist and former Director General of Aeronautical Systems and the former Project Director for Agni-IV missile in the Defence Research and Development Organisation. She is the first-ever female scientist to head a missile project in India. She joined the Defence Research and Development Organisation in 1988 where she worked on the design and development of the new generation ballistic missile, Agni. She was appointed by APJ Abdul Kalam for the Agni Project.