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Silk sari becomes symbol of India's 'rocket women' Mars mission success
🇲🇾 Malaysia /Technology

Silk sari becomes symbol of India's 'rocket women' Mars mission success

From Utusan Malaysia · () Malay

Translated from Malay, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Sources not specified Context piece
  • Indian space scientist Nandini Harinath wore a red and blue silk sari during a critical phase of India's historic Mars mission, Mangalyaan.
  • The sari, a gift from her father, is now displayed at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington D.C.
  • Harinath and other female scientists gained global attention for their roles in the mission, challenging perceptions of the male-dominated rocket science field in India.

During a pivotal moment in India's historic Mars mission, Mangalyaan, space scientist Nandini Harinath chose to wear a red and blue silk sari. This particular sari, a gift from her father, has now been proudly placed on display at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington D.C.

Harinath, who served as deputy director of operations for Mangalyaan, India's first orbiter mission to Mars, wore the sari on December 1, 2013. She explained that saris, especially those gifted by her father, were her preferred attire for important events or when representing the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro).

It was a life-or-death moment, the most critical operation in the mission. We had to determine where the spacecraft would go, how it would go, and when it would go. The success of the mission depended on what we did that day.

— Nandini HarinathDescribing the high stakes of the Mangalyaan mission's orbital maneuver.

On that critical day, Harinath and her team were in the control room executing the operation to move the spacecraft from Earth's orbit onto its 300-day journey to Mars. "It was a life-or-death moment, the most critical operation in the mission," she recalled in a 2016 interview. "We had to determine where the spacecraft would go, how it would go, and when it would go. The success of the mission depended on what we did that day."

The mission achieved success when Mangalyaan successfully entered Mars' orbit on September 24, 2014, making India the fourth country or geopolitical bloc to achieve this feat. Harinath and other female scientists involved in the mission garnered international attention after images of them celebrating the mission's success in saris went viral on social media. These images challenged the prevailing notion that rocket science in India was exclusively a male domain. Although Isro initially clarified that the women in the viral photo were administrative staff, the agency emphasized the significant roles played by numerous female scientists who were present in the control room during the operation.

I felt it was a very compelling story to tell, the story of the 'Rocket Women' who were at the forefront of making this important mission happen.

— Matt ShindellExplaining the significance of the 'Rocket Women' narrative to the Smithsonian curator.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Utusan Malaysia in Malay. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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