Today is a very special day for India. On Friday, Chandrayaan-3 will land on the southern pole of the Moon, about which no information is known yet. The scientific community worldwide is keeping a close eye on this mission. This campaign is particularly significant for us because it is led by Dr. Ritu Karidhal, also known as the ‘Rocket Woman’ of Lucknow, who hails from there. Chandrayaan-3 will depart from Sriharikota at her direction and head towards space.
ISRO has revealed that the responsibility for the landing of Chandrayaan-3 has been entrusted to senior female scientist Dr. Ritu, who is the mission director for Chandrayaan-3. The project director for the mission is P. Vira Muthuvel. Previously, Dr. Ritu served as the deputy operations director for Mangalyaan and mission director for Chandrayaan-2. This time, Chandrayaan-3 consists of a propulsion module instead of an orbiter, which will function similar to a communication satellite.
From childhood, Dr. Ritu Karidhal had a fascination with the moon, stars, and the sky. Born in 1975 into a middle-class family in Lucknow, her hobby was collecting articles, information, and pictures related to ISRO and NASA from newspapers. She pursued a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Physics from Lucknow University and then enrolled at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bangalore to pursue a master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering. Dr. Karidhal began working at ISRO as an engineer in November 1997.
A matter of pride for the entire state. This time, the city’s own daughter and our senior, Dr. Ritu Karidhal, has been appointed as the mission director for Chandrayaan-3. This is a matter of pride for Lucknow and the entire state. There are plans to screen the launch among members of the UP Amateur Astronomers Club at the Indira Gandhi Planetarium.
