The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., is known for its collection of iconic aircraft and space artifacts, but its latest exhibit is something very different. Suspended among the high-tech gears of space history is a humble sari. Although it never left Earth’s atmosphere, the women who wore it helped India reach another planet. This dress belongs to Nandini Harinath, she is a Indian Space Research OrganizationThe legendary “rocket women” whose leadership played a vital role in India’s Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan).
Who is Nandini Harinat?
She was born and raised in India, the daughter of a math teacher mother and an engineer father. Before joining ISRO, she completed her undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in engineering.
In her career of more than 20 years, she has supported more than 14 missions at the Indian Space Agency. Of her mission, she once told Condé Nast Traveler, “Every job you do feels like it’s the most important.”
However, Mars The mission is very different from others. The space scientist recalled, “But Mangalyan was special because there were so many people watching our event. It felt great to be recognized for your expertise and abilities. The Prime Minister shook our hands. NASA congratulated us; they are now working with us. But it’s not just industry, it’s the wider public, institutions, schools – they’re all really interested! They’re even following it on social media.”
In a 2025 interview, Nandini Harinath recalled how her fascination with space began by watching a popular TV series. “There was a very popular series on television called Star Trek,” she recalled while speaking at ET Enterprise AI’s 2025 Artificial Intelligence Jobs Summit. bangalore.
She added: “My whole family are absolute fans and we never miss an episode. Another movie I love watching over and over again is Apollo 13. Those stories of exploration and teamwork have always stayed with me.”
Why saree?
“Nandini Harinath, one of India’s ‘Rocketwomen’, helped her country land on Mars. She wore this dress saree “Work begins the day the Indian Space Research Organization’s spacecraft successfully leaves Earth’s orbit and begins a 300-day journey to Mars,” the Smithsonian wrote in an Instagram post.
The share also read: “As a rocket scientist and deputy director of operations for the Mars Orbiter mission, Harinat was an integral part of mission planning and operations. The spacecraft spent eight years in orbit, documenting the Martian surface and atmosphere well beyond its six-to-ten-month mission.”
It added, “The team’s success makes India the first Asian country and the fourth country in the world to reach Mars. The sarees worn by the female leaders of the mission symbolize their national identity and India’s success in space.”
The museum shared a video and photo of a “mannequin wearing a vibrant red and blue saree with intricate patterns.”
“The saree consists of a blue blouse and red and blue draped fabric with detailed designs.”
What is a Mars Orbiter Mission?
This is ISRO’s first interplanetary mission. On November 5, 2013, a spacecraft was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota.
The goal of MOM, also known as the Mangalian mission, “is to test key technologies for interplanetary exploration and study the Martian surface and atmosphere from orbit using its five science instruments.”
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