‘Courage to continue after failure counts’
| Date :10-Dec-2023 |
Staff Reporter
“The importance of success achieved after failure is invaluable”, expressed Dr Madhavi Thakre, Senior Scientist at Space Application Centre (SAC), Ahmedabad, under the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), during a media interaction session held at Devi Ahilya Mandir, Dhantoli on Saturday. Dr Thakre, known for her major role in many significant Indian space missions, including Chandrayaan-2, Chandrayaan-3, Mars Orbiter Mission, Resourcesat-2A, Indian Nanosatellite (INS) Missions, and the Space Docking Experiment, shared her invaluable experiences and reflections on perseverance and triumph of space missions. Specialising in sensor development, her team handles critical camera sensor tasks and remote sensing satellites, notably contributing to the development of Chandrayaan’s landing sensors and crucial Hazard Detection and Avoidance Camera. The interaction session was organised by Mahila Samanvay and Sanghmitra Seva. Dr Thakre was in the city for the Netri Sammelan programme to held on Sunday at Maharshi Vyas Hall, Reshimbagh.
Reflecting on the memorable moment of Chandrayaan-3’s successful lunar landing on August 23, Dr Thakre said, “The initial nervousness after the failed landing of Chandrayaan-2 was transformed into renewed determination and confidence as each testing phase progressed successfuly, leaving no mark of doubt.” Dr Thakre emphasised that throughout the project the team members held each others’ hand to accomplish the mission, and cheered ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ after victory. “Being a part of the Chandrayaan missions is like a lifetime achievement for me”, expressed the scientist. Adding to this, she said, thousands of individuals are behind each project. Forever there is the feeling of pride to be one of them and to have contributed to India’s historical space missions, she added. A native of Murtizapur, Akola District, she pursued her Bachelor of Science (BSc) from R L T College of Science, Akola, did Masters in Science (MSc) from a college in Amravati and PhD in Material Science from Pune University. Her dream to work at ISRO became a reality in 2009. Since then, she is working as a scientist at the Space Application Centre in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
Dr Thakre enthusiastically recalled her experience when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited ISRO Bengaluru Centre, and met S Somanath, Chairperson of ISRO along with the women workforce after the successful final descent of Chandrayaan-3. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with all the women workforce was like a much-needed pat on the back after the collective hardwork”, she expressed. Speaking on the role of family in a profession having unconventional work schedule, she credited her daughter and husband as her biggest support. “They have made adjustments in their lives so I can work without added stress of home”, she stated. While ISRO actively promotes women’s recruitment and several departments are headed by women, Dr Thakre highlighted the struggles faced by some women due to the demanding and non-traditional work environment, leading to retention issues for some employees. Adv Padma Chandekar, Coordinator of Mahila Samanvay and Sanghmitra Seva Pratishthan, and Shruti Gandhi conducted the proceedings of the programme.