Ritu Karidhal: India’s Rocket Woman

Ritu Karidhal is an ISRO scientist from Lucknow. People call her the Rocket Woman of India.

Where did she come from?

• She was born and brought up in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.
• She studied physics at Lucknow University.
• She then earned an aerospace engineering degree from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.
• She joined ISRO in 1997.
• As a schoolgirl she collected newspaper clippings about ISRO and NASA.

What is the memory hook?

Think “Lucknow physics, IISc aerospace, ISRO 1997”. Each step moves closer to space.

She was Deputy Operations Director of Mission Planning and Operations for Mangalyaan. This was India’s Mars Orbiter Mission.

What was the Mars mission?

• Mangalyaan was launched on PSLV-C25 on 5 November 2013.
• Its designed mission life was six months.
• It entered Mars orbit on 24 September 2014.
• ISRO says it reached Mars in its first attempt.

What is the memory hook?

Think “launch 2013, orbit 2014”. The spacecraft took about ten months to reach Mars.

She was tasked with drafting the autonomy software. It was called the craft’s autonomous brain.

What is onboard autonomy?

• Autonomy means the spacecraft can act on its own.
• ISRO wanted the Mars craft to work with enough autonomy during its journey.
• The excerpt calls the autonomous brain one of the most mission-critical tasks.
• Her team handled these autonomy systems.

What is the memory hook?

Think “autonomy is the craft’s brain”. She drafted the software for it.

She was Mission Director of Chandrayaan-2. It was India’s second lunar mission.

What happened to the mission?

• A GSLV Mk III M1 launched Chandrayaan-2 on 22 July 2019.
• It had an orbiter, the Vikram lander and the Pragyan rover.
• Vikram lost contact about 2.1 km above the Moon.
• ISRO Chairman K. Sivan led the agency at the time.

What is the memory hook?

Think “Chandrayaan-2, 2019, Mission Director”. Mangalyaan was the other post, as Deputy Operations Director.

Her exact title on Chandrayaan-3 is not stated in the sources. ISRO’s project director was P. Veeramuthuvel.

What do the reports say?

• A News Minute profile calls P. Veeramuthuvel the Project Director of Chandrayaan-3.
• It calls Kalpana K the Deputy Director of Chandrayaan-3.
• It lists Karidhal as Senior Scientist, ISRO, and gives no Chandrayaan-3 title.
• Business Today says she spearheaded the entire mission.
• ISRO’s page says Chandrayaan-3 soft-landed on 23 August 2023.
• LVM3 M4 launched it on 14 July 2023.

What is the memory hook?

Think “Mission Director for 2, not named for 3”. Veeramuthuvel was the project director of 3.

She won ISRO awards and a UK advisory seat. Each one links to a mission or a role.

What are the honours?

• The ISRO Young Scientist Award in 2007, presented by A. P. J. Abdul Kalam.
• The ISRO Team Award for the Mars Orbiter Mission in 2015.
• The ASI Team Award.
• The Women Achievers in Aerospace award in 2017.
• A seat on the UK’s G7 Gender Equality Advisory Council in 2021.

What was the G7 council?

• The UK government announced its 19 members on 9 April 2021.
• Liz Truss appointed them.
• The release lists Karidhal as Deputy Operations Director to the Mars Orbiter Mission.

What is the memory hook?

Think “ISRO awards at home, G7 council abroad”. The council came in 2021.

Four mix-ups come up again and again. Learn each pair.

What are the traps?

• Mars or Moon? She was Deputy Operations Director for Mangalyaan. She was Mission Director for Chandrayaan-2.
• Which Chandrayaan? Chandrayaan-2 lost its lander in 2019. Chandrayaan-3 soft-landed in 2023.
• Who was Project Director? P. Veeramuthuvel was Project Director of Chandrayaan-3.
• Mission Director for 3? Many media reports say so. The sources here do not confirm it.

How do you remember them?

Think “Mars deputy, Moon-2 director”. Match each post to its mission.