Ritu Karidhal, an ISRO scientist, played a crucial role as the Deputy Operations Director in India’s Mars orbital mission, Mangalyaan. She is recognized as one of India’s esteemed “Rocket Women.” Her expertise and dedication contributed significantly to the success of the mission.

Ritu Karidhal Biography

Ritu Karidhal, an aerospace engineer, hails from Lucknow and has made significant contributions to India’s space missions. She has been at the forefront of various prestigious projects, including Chandrayaan-3, India’s third lunar mission. Leading the mission, Chandrayaan-3, which was successfully launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, on July 14, 2023, at 2:35 pm.

Ritu Karidhal Picture

Ritu Karidhal with his Husband and Children

Ritu Karidhal with his Brother (Subhash Karidhal)

Family

She has two brothers and two sisters.  Her parents passed away when Ritu was in college.

Age

She was born on 13 April in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. Now she is 48 years old.

Education

After obtaining her B.Sc. in Physics from the University of Lucknow, Ritu Karidhal pursued her studies at the Mahila Vidyalaya PG College in Lucknow. She continued her academic journey by completing her M.Sc. in Physics from Lucknow University. Inspired to delve deeper into her field, she embarked on a Ph.D. program in Physics while simultaneously preparing for the GATE examination.

Husband & Children

She got married to Avinash Srivastava. They have two children, Anisha and Aditya.

Career

While pursuing her M.Tech degree, Ritu Karidhal displayed her dedication and passion for her career by actively searching for job openings in the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) through newspaper advertisements. Joining ISRO in 1997, she embarked on a remarkable journey of contributions to the organization.

Ritu played a pivotal role in the development of India’s Mars Orbiter Mission, Mangalyaan. Her responsibilities encompassed the intricate detailing and execution of the spacecraft’s autonomous system. As the Deputy Operations Director for the mission, she contributed significantly to its success. In her early days; Ritu Karidhal was entrusted with challenging assignments, which she skillfully managed. She later served as the mission director for the Chandrayaan 2 mission. Remarkably, this mission was accomplished in just 18 months and at a significantly lower cost of ₹450 crores, showcasing her efficient leadership and resource management.

Awards List

• “Woman Achievers in Aerospace” Award by the Society of Indian Aerospace Technologies & Industries (SIATI) in 2017.
• The “Birla Sun Achievement” Award by the Bank of Baroda
• The ASI Team Award
• The ISRO Team Award for the Mars Orbiter Mission in 2015.
• The Young Scientist Award by Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam in 2007.

Net Worth

Her net worth is ₹9,000 Crores.

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