Ritu Karidhal
ISRO scientist known as the “Rocket Woman of India”
- Age
- 51 yrs
- Birthday in 166 days
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- Career highlights
- Honours
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- Most recent 2007
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Ritu Karidhal is an aerospace engineer at ISRO who played key roles in India’s Mars Orbiter Mission and was mission director of Chandrayaan-2. Often called the “Rocket Woman of India”, she has become a role model for women in science.
Biography
Lucknow
Ritu Karidhal grew up in Lucknow, fascinated by the Moon and stars and collecting newspaper cuttings about space. She studied physics at the University of Lucknow and aerospace engineering at the Indian Institute of Science, and joined ISRO in 1997.
Mangalyaan
She was deputy operations director of the Mars Orbiter Mission, Mangalyaan, which in 2014 made India the first Asian country to reach Mars orbit and the first nation to do so on its first attempt. She worked on the spacecraft’s autonomy systems.
Chandrayaan-2
In 2019 she was mission director of Chandrayaan-2, which, with project director M. Vanitha, was celebrated as one of ISRO’s first missions led by women.
Recognition
She received the ISRO Young Scientist Award in 2007 and has been widely honoured as a role model for girls in science and engineering.
Timeline
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1975
Born in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
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1997
Joins ISRO
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2007
ISRO Young Scientist Award
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2014
Mangalyaan reaches Mars
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2019
Mission director of Chandrayaan-2
Awards and honours
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ISRO Young Scientist Award
2007
Did you know?
-
1
She collected newspaper cuttings about space as a child.
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2
Mangalyaan reached Mars on India’s first attempt.
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3
She is called the “Rocket Woman of India”.
Connections
Frequently asked
Who is Ritu Karidhal?
Ritu Karidhal is an aerospace engineer at ISRO who played key roles in India’s Mars Orbiter Mission and was mission director of Chandrayaan-2. Often called the “Rocket Woman of India”, she has become a role model for women in science.
How old is Ritu Karidhal?
Ritu Karidhal is 51 years old, born on 13 April 1975 in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.
Where is Ritu Karidhal from?
Ritu Karidhal was born in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.
What is Ritu Karidhal known for?
Ritu Karidhal is best known for Deputy operations director of Mangalyaan; mission director of Chandrayaan-2.
What awards has Ritu Karidhal received?
Notable honours include ISRO Young Scientist Award (2007).
References
- Ritu Karidhal — Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Retrieved 27 October 2026.
- Ritu Karidhal — Hindi Wikipedia. Wikipedia (Hindi). Retrieved 27 October 2026.
- Ritu Karidhal (Q29588840) — structured data. Wikidata. Retrieved 27 October 2026.
Includes material from the Wikipedia article “Ritu Karidhal”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. That text is available under the same licence. Learn more
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About this profile
- Researched by the TrackFame editorial team; reviewed by Sanjay Sokal under our editorial policy
- First published 27 October 2026
- Last updated
Cite this page
“Ritu Karidhal.” TrackFame, last updated 28 October 2026. https://trackfame.com/person/ritu-karidhal
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