Ritu Karidhal facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dr. Ritu Karidhal Srivastava
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Ritu Karidhal at ISRO after Chandrayan mission
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| Born | 13 April 1975 Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
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| Alma mater | University of Lucknow Indian Institute of Science |
| Occupation | Scientist |
| Years active | 1997–present |
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Works
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Mars Orbiter Mission, Chandrayaan-2, Chandrayaan-3 |
| Spouse(s) | Avinash Srivastava |
| Children | Aditya, Anisha |
| Awards | ISRO Young Scientist Award |
Ritu Karidhal Srivastava is a brilliant Indian scientist and aerospace engineer. She works at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). People often call her one of India's "Rocket Women." This is because of her amazing work on space missions.
She was a Deputy Operations Director for India's mission to Mars, called Mangalyaan. A Bollywood movie, Mission Mangal, was even made about the Mangalyaan mission. The actress Vidya Balan played a role inspired by Ritu Karidhal.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Ritu Karidhal was born in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. She grew up in a family that really valued education. From a young age, she was fascinated by space. She would spend hours looking at the night sky. She wondered about the moon and the stars. She wanted to know what was beyond our planet.
As a teenager, she collected newspaper articles about space. She followed the news about ISRO and NASA. This showed her strong interest in space exploration.
She studied Physics at the University of Lucknow. She earned both her Bachelor's and Master's degrees there. Later, she taught in the Physics Department for a while. She then went on to study aerospace engineering at the IISc in Bangalore. In 2019, the University of Lucknow also gave her an honorary doctorate degree.
Amazing Career at ISRO
Ritu Karidhal has been working for ISRO since 1997. She has played a very important part in many of India's space missions.
The Mars Mission: Mangalyaan
She was a key person in India's Mangalyaan project. This mission sent a spacecraft to orbit Mars. She helped design and set up the spacecraft's special "onward autonomy system." This system allowed the satellite to work on its own in space. It could even fix small problems by itself.
The Mangalyaan mission was a huge success for ISRO. India became the fourth country in the world to reach Mars. What's even more amazing is that it was done very quickly. It took only 18 months to complete. It also cost much less than similar missions by other countries.
Leading Lunar Missions
Ritu Karidhal also supervised the Chandrayaan-2 mission. This mission aimed to land a spacecraft on the Moon.
In 2023, she worked on the Chandrayaan-3 mission. This mission successfully landed a spacecraft on the Moon's South Pole. India became the first country to achieve a soft landing in that area. Ritu Karidhal's work helped India reach this incredible milestone.
Awards and Recognition
Ritu Karidhal has received many awards for her contributions to science.
- In 2007, she received the ISRO Young Scientist Award. This award was given to her by A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, who was the President of India at that time.
- She was also honored with the UP Gaurav Samman award. The Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath, gave her this award in 2024.
- She has given talks at TED and TEDx events. There, she shared the story of the successful Mars Orbiter Mission.
- Her old university, the Lucknow University, gave her an honorary doctorate. The Governor Anandiben Patel presented this special degree to her.
