Renowned ISRO scientist N. Valarmathi, widely recognized for her commanding presence during various ISRO mission launches, including the Chandrayaan-3 mission, has regrettably passed away at the age of 64, as reported by numerous media outlets.
Valarmathi, a distinguished ISRO scientist renowned for her pivotal role as the voice announcing rocket launch countdowns at Sriharikota, tragically succumbed to a cardiac arrest at a private hospital in Chennai on the preceding day.
According to the ISRO Public Relations Officer (PRO), Valarmathi was a highly esteemed member of the Range Operations Programme Office at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, where her responsibilities included the announcement of countdowns for all launch events.
Born on July 31, 1959, and departing on September 3, 2023, N. Valarmathi was a prominent Indian scientist. She served as the project director for RISAT-1, India’s pioneering domestically-developed Radar Imaging Satellite.
Significantly, she earned the prestigious distinction of being the inaugural recipient of the Abdul Kalam Award in 2015. This esteemed accolade was instituted by the Government of Tamil Nadu in tribute to the former president, Dr. Abdul Kalam.
Hailing from Ariyalur, Tamil Nadu, N. Valarmathi received her early education at Nirmala Girls Higher Secondary School. She completed her Bachelor of Engineering degree at the Government College of Technology, Coimbatore, and subsequently achieved a Master’s degree in Electronics and Communications from Anna University.
Valarmathi devoted her career to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) since 1984, making substantial contributions to numerous missions, including Insat 2A, IRS IC, IRS ID, and TES.
Her remarkable journey led her to assume the role of project director for various projects, notably including India’s inaugural domestically-developed Radar Imaging Satellite, RISAT-1, which achieved a successful launch in 2012. Regrettably, Valarmathi passed away on September 3, 2023, at the age of 64.