On 28 November, Dr V R Lalithambika, the former director of the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) Directorate of the Human Spaceflight Programme received the coveted Légion d’honneur, the highest civilian award in France. She received this distinction as a recognition for her important contributions to the development of France-India space cooperation. On behalf of the French government Thierry Mathou, the ambassador of France to India presented her with the prestigious honour.
An honour to confer "Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur" on distinguished Indian space scientist Dr. V. R. Lalithambika.
— Thierry Mathou (@thierry_mathou) November 28, 2023
This award recognizes her trailblazing achievements and contribution to 🇫🇷🇮🇳 space cooperation, particularly in human spaceflight. 🚀🛰️ pic.twitter.com/DtHVh6E7ty
An official press release from the embassy read, “A specialist in advanced launch vehicle technology, Dr Lalithambika has worked extensively on various ISRO rockets, particularly the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). In 2018, as Director of the Human Spaceflight Programme, she coordinated closely with the French National Space Agency (Centre national d’études spatiales – CNES) for India’s Gaganyaan project. Dr Lalithambika was instrumental in the signing of the first joint agreement for cooperation between CNES and ISRO on human spaceflight, under which the two countries could exchange specialists to work on space medicine.”
It further added that a second agreement between France and India about the Indian astronaut program was signed in 2021 while the former French Foreign Affairs Minister was visiting ISRO in Bengaluru owing to her coordination with CNES. “Under this agreement, the French space agency would train India’s flight physicians and CAPCOM mission control teams in France at the CADMOS centre for the development of microgravity applications and space operations at CNES in Toulouse and at the European Astronaut Centre (EAC) in Cologne, Germany.”
Thierry Mathou stated, “I am delighted to confer the Chevalier of the Légion d’Honneur on Dr V.R. Lalithambika, a distinguished scientist and a trailblazer in space technology. Her expertise, accomplishments, and tireless efforts have scripted a new ambitious chapter in the long history of the Indo-French space partnership,” on the occasion.
“I sincerely hope that this honour being bestowed on me will spur more and more women to take up STEM (Science, technology, engineering and mathematics) careers and to excel in their chosen fields,” responded Dr Lalithambika after receiving the award.
The notification lauded the scientist as a trailblazer and remarked, “Dr Lalithambika is an inspiration to the next generation of scientists not only in Toulouse but also in India, where she promoted inclusivity by enabling the recruitment of civilians, including women, to participate in the future of the Indian astronaut programme.”
The French Republic’s highest civilian honour, the Legion of Honour was instituted in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte. It is given to recipients in appreciation of their outstanding service to France regardless of their nationality. “The President of the French Republic is the Grand Master of the Order of the Legion of Honour.”
The former recipients of this prestigious award include big names from various fields like JRD Tata, Satyajit Ray, Bharat Ratna C N R Rao, Pandit Ravi Shankar, Zubin Mehta, E Sreedharan, Amitabh Bachchan, Sivaji Ganeshan, Lata Mangeshkar, Shah Rukh Khan, Shashi Tharoor, danseuse Alarmel Valli, Azim Premji and space scientist A S Kiran Kumar.
Who is Dr VR Lalithambika
Dr VR Lalithambika was born in 1962 in Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram. Her early fascination with ISRO stemmed from her home’s close proximity to the Thumba rocket testing centre. Her grandfather who used to assemble devices like lenses, microscopes and other equipment at the house introduced her to science at a young age and also kept her informed about ISRO’s activities. Her grandfather was an astronomer, a gadget inventor and a mathematician. Her dad worked as an engineer as well.
She completed her B. Tech. in Electrical Engineering at the College of Engineering, Trivandrum and subsequently returned to complete her M. Tech. in Control Engineering there. She worked at two colleges before joining ISRO. She worked at the space agency while pursuing her doctorate.
She is a specialist in Advanced Launch Vehicle Technology. She joined the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram. in 1988. She led a team that designed rocket control and guidance systems. She has worked with various ISRO rockets including the Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle (ASLV), Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) and Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV). She has participated in more than 100 space missions.
She held the position of Deputy Director (control, guidance, and simulation) at VSSC, Thiruvananthapuram before relocating to the ISRO headquarters in Bengaluru. She is the Director of the Indian Human Spaceflight Programme which aims to launch Indian astronauts into space by 2022. She is going to oversee the Gaganyaan mission.
She was awarded the Space Gold Medal in 2001, ISRO Individual Merit Award and ISRO Performance Excellence Award in 2013. She has also won the Astronautical Society of India award for excellence in launch vehicle technology.
