Women of Indian-Origin Leading Space

 

The world has never been an easy place for women to live in let alone achieving something that’s immeasurable. Be it the 15^th, 16^th or the 21^st century, the fear of the world being led by women is eternal. But all of these social and political backlashes that seem to be unbreakable impediments have never stopped women from being who they are and proving themselves. Overcoming the numerous other barriers and leading not just the world but  astral space are two women from India:

NASA rover operator Vandi Verma and Dr.Swati Mohan who controlled the landing of Perseverance with hopes of inspiring young women into STEM. Verma who describes her job as “one of the coolest jobs in the world” is  NASA’s rover operator for Perseverance. She hopes women’s high profile in the latest Mars mission will inspire a new generation of young women to pursue careers in a sector traditionally dominated by men.

Verma’s colleague Swati Mohan made headlines around the world when she narrated the nail-biting landing of the Perseverance rover on the Red Planet following its perilous descent through the Martian atmosphere.

The Perseverance Rover was launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida on July 30, 2020 made its landing on an ancient river delta in a lake that once filled the Jezero Crater. According to NASA, Dr. Mohan had emigrated from India to the United States at the age of one. She completed her B.S from Cornell University in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. She went on to receive her M.S and Ph.D from MIT in Aeronautics/Astronautics. She is currently working for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, CA.

At the age of 9, after watching ‘Star Trek’ for the first time, Dr. Mohan was quite astounded with the beautiful depictions of the new regions of the universe that they were exploring. She had immediately realized that she wanted to do that and “find new and beautiful places in the universe”. Simultaneously, Mohan also wanted to become a pediatrician until she was 16. It was however because of her first physics class and the “great teacher” she got, that she considered “engineering” as a way to pursue her interest towards space exploration.

Verma, who has been operating rovers on Mars since 2008, said the latest mission would help answer questions “that change what we know about our place in the universe”. Born in India, Verma gained her Ph.D in robotics from Carnegie Mellon University.

When she joined NASA in 2004, female engineers often found themselves as the only woman in the room, she said. But things are changing. NASA, which aims to land the first woman on the moon by 2024, is on a mission to boost diversity. Women made up 34% of the workforce in 2019, holding 18% of senior scientific posts, about triple the figure for 2009, according to the agency.

Verma said it was very exciting to see an increasing number of applications from women, adding that diverse teams led to more “creative, out-of-the-box thinking”.

Women like these who lead and create a significant place for themselves after rising from difficult backgrounds not just create a path for others to follow but instill confidence, wisdom and hope in the minds, hearts and souls of so many others.  Having an aim, being persistent in working hard to achieve it and believing in oneself is something that won’t just help to lead the world but the wide and infinite space as well.