On Wednesday, August 23, India’s third lunar mission Chandrayaan-3, successfully landed on the south pole of the moon, the first landing of its kind.
Behind this feat is a team of five individuals who steered the mission towards success, among whom is Kalpana Kalahasti, the deputy project director, whose contribution is noteworthy.
According to Gulte, Kalpana’s roots trace back to Thaduku in Puttur Mandal of Chittoor district. Her father, Muniratnam, worked as an officer in the High Court, and her mother, Indira, was also educated. Kalpana pursued her education in Chennai, studying B.Tech in Electronics and Communication at Madras University.
She aspired to work at the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) since she was a child. After she completed her B.Tech in ECE, she was able to pursue her dream. She passed the intricate selection process and joined ISRO in 2000. She began her career as a radar engineer at the Space Center (SHAR).
Five years later, she got transferred to the U R Rao Satellite Centre in Bangalore in 2005. The focus of her work then shifted towards satellite systems, and worked as an engineer in satellite building.
She took up a major role as the deputy project director for the Chandrayaan 3 mission and she supervised the project through its minute details. She remained dedicated and ensured that the mission was not hindered despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
After the successful landing Chandrayaan-3, Kalpana K addressed the Indian nation at the ISRO Telemetry Tracking and Command Network, expressing, “…this will remain the most memorable moment for all of us…from the day we started rebuilding our spacecraft after the Chandrayaan 2 experience, it has been breathe in-breathe out Chandrayaan 3 for the team.”
She was also previously involved in the second lunar mission and the Mangalyaan mission.
Other member of the team were ISRO chairman S Somanath, project director Veeramuthuvel, M Sankaran, director of U R Rao Satellite Centre where the satellite was constructed, and M Srikanth, the mission director.
