✦ Celebrity stories, facts and career updates. Explore F4U now →

Home › Biography › Ritu Karidhal (ISRO Scientist)

Ritu Karidhal (ISRO Scientist) biographyFeatured Biography

Image source: StarsUnfolded

Celebrities

Ritu Karidhal (ISRO Scientist) Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated October 1, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth13 April

BirthplaceLucknow, Uttar Pradesh

ProfessionISRO Scientist

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

SpouseAvinash Srivastava

FamilySon - Aditya; Daughter - Anisha

Ritu Karidhal (ISRO Scientist) Biography

Ritu Karidhal Srivastava is an Indian space scientist known for leadership roles on India's high-profile interplanetary and lunar missions. Hailing from a

Early life and background

Ritu Karidhal Srivastava comes from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, where she completed her school education and early higher studies. She earned a B.Sc from Mahila Vidyalaya PG College and an M.Sc in Physics from Lucknow University. Later she completed an M.Tech in Aerospace Engineering at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. As a student she developed a strong interest in mathematics and the space sciences, following developments at ISRO and NASA and keeping press cuttings of their missions.

Career

Ritu began her professional journey while pursuing doctoral research in physics. After passing the GATE examination she left her PhD and moved to Bangalore to continue advanced studies and take up roles that led her toward space systems engineering. Early in her career she worked as a part-time lecturer and published research during her PhD period before joining the U R Rao Satellite Centre (URSC) of ISRO.

At URSC she took on technically demanding assignments and rose through roles that involved spacecraft autonomy and mission operations. She served as Deputy Operations Director (often described as Deputy Mission Director) for Indias Mars Orbiter Mission, known as Mangalyaan, which launched on 5 November 2013. In that programme she was responsible for conceptualising and implementing the crafts onboard autonomy systemsthe software and logic that enable a spacecraft to handle tasks and recover from anomalies without real-time human intervention from Earth.

Ritu went on to serve as Mission Director for Chandrayaan-2, Indias second lunar mission, which launched on 22 July 2019 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre. She later led Chandrayaan-3, Indias third lunar mission, which lifted off from Sriharikota on 14 July 2023.

Throughout her career she has been recognised with multiple awards and honours. These include the Young Scientist Award presented in 2007 by Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, an ISRO Team Award for the Mars Orbiter Mission in 2015, an ASI Team Award, the Women Achievers in Aerospace Award in 2017 from SIATI, and the Birla Sun Achievement Award from the Bank of Baroda.

Public profile

Ritu Karidhal is often referred to by the popular sobriquet "Rocket Woman of India." She has spoken publicly about her experiences on high-stakes missions, including a TEDx appearance in Hyderabad on 3 March 2019 where she described the Mars Orbiter Mission. Her profile has occasionally brought her into the public eye alongside prominent figures; she is recognised both for technical leadership and for advocating greater participation of women in space sciences.

Personal life

Ritu was born on 13 April and identifies as Indian. Her hometown and birthplace are listed as Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. She is married to Avinash Srivastava. They have two children, a son named Aditya and a daughter named Anisha. She comes from a family with siblings including two younger brothers, Rohit Karidhal and Subhash Karidhal, and a younger sister, Varsha Lal.

Ritu keeps reading as a pastime and has expressed a wish to see more women pursue careers in space science and to achieve recognition in fields of science. During the intense final months of the Mars Orbiter Mission she balanced family responsibilities with long work hours, sometimes working late into the night after household duties and helping her children with homework.

Latest updates

Ritu Karidhal continued to play central roles in India's planetary and lunar exploration programmes, moving from key responsibilities on Mangalyaan to mission leadership on Chandrayaan-2 and leading Chandrayaan-3 in 2023. Her career reflects sustained technical contribution to spacecraft autonomy, mission planning, and operations at ISRO.

Editorial Review and Sources

This F4U profile is written from publicly available career and profile information, then reviewed for clarity before publication. If you spot an outdated detail about Ritu Karidhal (ISRO Scientist), send the page URL and a reliable correction source to f4udotin@gmail.com.

Reference context: StarsUnfolded
◈

Recent Work

Chandrayaan-3

Led Indias third lunar mission, launched from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota on 14 July 2023.

2023
Chandrayaan-2

Served as Mission Director for India's second lunar mission, launched on 22 July 2019.

2019
Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan)

Appointed Deputy Operations Director for the Mars Orbiter Mission, launched on 5 November 2013.

2013
✦

Career Highlights

  1. Deputy Operations Director (Deputy Mission Director) for the Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan), 2013
  2. Mission Director for Chandrayaan-2, 2019
  3. Mission lead for Chandrayaan-3, 2023
  4. Young Scientist Award (2007) from Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
  5. ISRO Team Award for Mars Orbiter Mission (2015)
  6. Women Achievers in Aerospace Award (SIATI, 2017)
?

Frequently Asked Questions

When was Ritu Karidhal (ISRO Scientist) born?

13 April

What is Ritu Karidhal (ISRO Scientist) known for?

ISRO Scientist

What is Ritu Karidhal (ISRO Scientist)’s marital status?

Married

Who is Ritu Karidhal (ISRO Scientist) married to?

Avinash Srivastava