Kalpana Kalahasti, a Telugu woman and the deputy
project director of Chandrayaan-3, has left her mark in history and also
encouraged women’s advancement in science after the historic soft-landing of
Chandrayaan-3 on the Moon on Thursday evening.
Kalpana is one of the five individuals who
played a pivotal role in this victory. With this success, Kalpana has etched
her name in history and has paved the way for women’s advancement in STEM
(Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics).
Kalpana K., born and brought up in Benguluru,
Karnataka, joined ISRO as a scientist in 2003. During the early years of her
career at ISRO, she worked on several satellite projects. And her unparalleled
dedication and resourceful thinking captured all the attention of her
colleagues, and she swiftly rose through the ranks at ISRO.
Kalpana was also involved in the second lunar
mission and the Mangalyaan Mission, and according to her colleagues, she paid
extra attention to the minute details of the project.
With a lady behind this resounding success of
Chandrayaan-3, it has highlighted the growing significance of women in the
realm of space exploration. Kalpana’s astonishing achievements are a testament
to the truth that gender boundaries are being completely broken down, enabling
varied perspectives and opinions to flourish in ISRO and in the wider
scientific community.