M Vanitha’s team was responsible for all systems on Chandrayaan-2, whose lander failed to soft-land on the moo... Read More

BENGALURU: Isro, whose decision to appoint two women — Ritu Karidhal as Mission Director (MD) and M Vanitha as Project Director (PD) — to head Chandrayaan-2 mission had garnered high praise, has retained a large number of people from the team to implement Chandrayaan-3 , the next Moon landing mission. However, Vanitha is no longer part of the project, with a man from Isro headquarters replacing her.

Vanitha and her team were responsible for all the systems on Chandrayaan-2, whose lander failed to soft-land on Moon on September 7, while Ritu, whose team was responsible for the mission, continues to be MD for Chandrayaan-3.

A November-28 Isro office order accessed exclusively by TOI, reads: “M Vanitha, outstanding scientist and currently project director, Chandrayaan-2, is hereby designated deputy director, Payload, Data Management & Space Astronomy Area (PDMSA). ...P Veeramuthuvel, scientist/engineer ‘SF’ is hereby transferred from Isro headquarters and designated project director, Chandrayaan-3.”

A separate order issued on December 7, after Veeramuthuvel’s appointment as Chandrayaan-3 project director, shows that he will also head the project management team, which will have him and all the deputy project directors as members.

“Chandrayaan-3 consists of propulsion module (PM), lander module (LM) and a rover,” the second Isro order states, adding that “all deputy directors identified for lander and rover payloads of Chandrayaan-2 will continue to work for Chandrayaan-3.”

Isro has identified 29 deputy project directors responsible for various aspects of the mission like structure, propulsion, engine, mechanisms, integration, power, mechanical and electrical systems and so on. They will be responsible for the lander and rover.

Besides, there will be 55 project managers who will also work under the project directors, each responsible for a system. The TOI was the first to report that the space agency has kick started work on Chandrayaan-3 on November 14.

Isro’s initial order about Chandrayaan-3, issued in October had, among other senior scientists, identified Ritu to head crucial committees, but Vanitha’s name was missing from the list of scientists who had been given responsibilities. Now, the November order confirms that Vanitha will not be part of Chandrayaan-3. Isro has not officially announced the reason for transferring Vanitha.

