There is a heightened sense of excitement in Lucknow’s Jankipuram. It is where Ritu Karidhal belongs, who is one of the lead scientists of India’s third moon mission Chandrayaan-3.
Chandrayaan-3 is all set to attempt a soft landing on the south pole of the moon around 6.04 pm on Wednesday, and this historic moment has become the most talked-about topic of the day in this locality that calls Karidhal its ‘Rocket Woman’.
People here are either glued to their television screens or have marked the day by conducting prayer sessions. A religious ceremony was organised at Lucknow’s famous Hanuman Setu temple for Chandrayaan-3’s successful landing.
Karidhal’s family, who did not wish to be named, said they last got word from her after the launch of Chandrayaan-3. “She was quite excited about the successful launch of the moon mission, Chandrayaan-3; however, she said it’s just the first step and the testing time is yet to come,” one of her family members said.
Local residents, roadside vendors, tea stalls and shop owners – all are looking forward to the landing. “It’s a big day for us. We are proud of Ritu bitiya, who has not only brought laurels to the country but also made her locality famous. I am receiving frequent calls from people enquiring about the moon mission,” said Sanjeev Mishra, who lives close to the scientist.
Karidhal, who is handling the landing, was born and brought up in Lucknow. She completed her postgraduate degree from Lucknow University’s physics department and later enrolled for a PhD in the same department. She was chosen by ISRO only six months later, where she joined as a scientist.
Her PhD guide, Prof Manisha Gupta, said Karidhal’s topic was materials. “She was a bright student. She also taught in the department as a part-time teacher like other PhD scholars. Indeed, it’s a matter of pride for all of us,” said Gupta.
Prof Poonam Tandon, dean of academics and professor in the physics department, said Karidhal had scaled new heights and was playing a crucial role in the soft landing of Chandrayaan-3. “She was a diligent and brilliant student during her MSc in physics at our institution in 1996. She enrolled for a PhD in the department and was selected by ISRO merely six months later, where she joined as a scientist. Her journey is a testament to her meticulousness and dedication,” she said.
Karidhal was also the mission director coordinating the injection of Chandrayaan-2. The new mission comes four years after the previous one failed to achieve its desired soft landing in September 2019.
In October 2019, Lucknow University’s convocation ceremony revolved around Karidhal, who was the project director of Chandrayaan-2. She was present on the occasion and remembered her teachers. Addressing the gathering at the ceremony, she had said: “The lessons learnt during my time here helped me enter the vast universe of ISRO. At ISRO, we are asked to look for solutions to critical problems and complete the task at hand.” She thanked her parents for allowing her to move out of the city to pursue her goals.
During a talk on Mangalyaan and Chandrayaan-2 organised by the university as an extension of the convocation, Karidhal had interacted with students and told them how the Mars mission was conducted mainly by young scientists at a low as well as internationally competitive cost in a record 18 months.
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