Samarth Bharat Parva - Smt. Muthiah Vanitha

[Katha - Vivekananda Kendra]

O India! Forget not that the ideal of thy womanhood is Sita, Savitri, Damayanti; forget not that the God thou worshippest is the great Ascetic of ascetics, the all-renouncing Shankara, the Lord of Umâ; forget not that thy marriage, thy wealth, thy life are not for sense-pleasure, are not for thy individual personal happiness; forget not that thou art born as a sacrifice to the Mother's altar.

-- Swami Vivekananda
{CWSV - 4 : Translations: Prose : Modern INDIA }
{Swami Vivekananda's Rousing Call to Hindu Nation : The Message:  The Task of Regeneration : Its Basis and Direction}

The name Smt. Muthiah Vanitha is widely recognized as a great example of utmost respect and simplicity within ISRO. Her journey at ISRO, starting as a junior engineer and then ascending to the position of Project Director of the Chandrayaan 2 mission, stands as a remarkable inspiration. Her contribution to space research is commendable.

Born on August 2nd, 1964, in Chennai, M. Vanitha grew up in an ordinary yet inherently humble family. She is the best example of simple living and high thinking, having attended Boiler Plant School in Trichy and completed her graduation in Design Engineering at the College of Engineering, Guindy.

With over three decades of service at ISRO, M. Vanitha started as a junior engineer, specializing in various hardware systems. Over time, she ascended to managerial roles, overseeing the telemetry and telecommand division in Digital Systems Group of ISRO's Satellite Centre.

Throughout her tenure, she handled data operations for multiple satellites as Deputy Project Director. Notably, she was part of the successful 2013 Mangalyaan Mars mission. Elevated from Associate Director to Project Director, M. Vanitha led the Chandrayaan-2 lunar mission, marking the first female mission commander in ISRO's history. She also worked as a decoder during the Chandrayaan-1 mission. Additionally, she played a key role in several projects like Cartosat-1, Oceansat-2, and Megha-Tropics.

Recognized for her extensive contributions, she received several awards, including the 'Best Woman Scientist' award from the Astronomical Society of India in 2006. Esteemed seniors have appreciated her specialized contributions to astronomical services over the years.

In an interview, she confessed being initially hesitant about leading the Chandrayaan-2 mission. However, after thorough explanation and conviction by Project Director Annadurai, she finally changed her mind. Excellently planning and executing the Chandrayaan-2 mission, though not entirely successful, remains a testament to her commitment. We extend our best wishes for her future endeavors.

- Sarvesh Fadnavis,  courtesy : https://sarveshfadnavis.blogspot.com