Village girl to ISRO’s ace satellite engineer, this woman is shining example of woman empowerment

K Thenmozhi Selvi made history last year when she became the first woman ISRO engineer to speak from the podium at India’s space port – the Satish Dhawan Space Center, Sriharikota – after India successfully launched the EOS 6 satellite or the OceanSat.

Daughter of a telephone lineman from a town famous for Diwali rockets and firecrackers has made India proud by becoming an ace satellite engineer at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Truly this Tamil medium government school educated highly focussed lady is a worthy role model for ‘beti padhao, beti bachao’ campaign. Her life’s passion is to make communication and earth imaging satellites that protect India.

Thenmozhi Selvi, the project director of the EOS 6 satellite, reticently addressed the nation when ISRO Chairman S Somanath asked her to speak to the audience after the successful lift off of the 56th Polar Satellite launch Vehicle (PSLV). Dressed in a traditional maroon silk saree she confidently took the stage and informed the audience that “EO6 was an advanced third generation satellite” when nervousness of the event overwhelmed her, Somanath ably assisted her; in her humility she thanked the dedicated 30 member team that built the OceanSat satellite.

It not the first time that a woman has led a team which crafts satellites at ISRO. The brilliant M Vanitha helped craft the Chandrayaan-2 satellite. But on November 26, 2022 Thenmozhi Selvi broke a glass ceiling at the space port – it was the first time that a lady engineer walked to the exalted podium and made India and ISRO proud. She may be the first but many more will follow as ISRO is home to some of the finest women scientists and engineers.

The Indian Science Congress which is being held at Nagpur is discussing women’s empowerment. Addressing the congregation, India’s Science Minister Dr Jitendra Singh said, “We are now witnessing women-led science and technology empowerment.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaking at the ISC inaugural session emphasized that “women-led development is also a major priority among the major subjects of India’s G-20 presidency.”

That said, it has not been an easy journey. In 1985, Thenmozhi Selvi joined at the bottom of the pyramid as technical assistant having merely completed a diploma. Since then, thanks to the effective grooming at ISRO, she not only did her Bachelor of Engineering but also completed a Master of Technology in her 37-year career.

Thenmozhi thanks her father for supporting her education and making sure she did not join the notorious firecracker industry of Sivakasi. She says, “Yes firecrackers are famous in Sivakasi and many children do join there, thankfully my father gave me education and helped me to dream big.” She also thanks her late husband, also a telecom employee, who supported her in continuing her education even as she worked at ISRO.

EOS6 is latest of the dozen or so satellites on which Thenmozhi has worked. In her simple manner she says, “I was leading the team but it was the simplest of the satellites that I have worked on.” She is right there.

Among the toughest satellites Thenmozhi has helped craft as a sub-system engineer are the `CartoSAT’ series of satellites. “These were the most challenging” as India was making use of cutting edge earth imaging technology like never before, she says. For obvious reasons she cannot talk much about CartoSAT’s or admit to its unique features.

The CartoSAT series are truly India’s eyes in the sky. Nothing can really hide from their prying gaze. India’s military used images from these CartoSATS to plan the 2016 surgical strikes and the 2019 Balakot air strikes.

Thenmozhi’s gentle demeanour does not reveal that it is the sophisticated image processing software she and her team crafted that helps protect 1.3 billion Indians.

Thenmozhi has also worked on communication satellites like the INSAT series that revolutionized satellite-based communication for India.

“There is no gender bias at ISRO,” says Thenmozhi. Both men and women work shoulder-to-shoulder diligently making precision satellites. “Only merit counts,” asserts Thenmozhi and with a child-like giggle says, “who would have ever imagined that a technical assistant could go on to lead a team making a satellite worth hundreds of crores.”

In her personal time Thenmozhi says she meditates. This gives her peace of mind and a clearer resolve to see India emerge as a space super power.

Article Credits: News Nine