ISRO Scientist N Valarmathi, Voice Behind Historic Space Mission Countdowns, Dies at 64

N. Valarmathi, the renowned scientist from the Indian Space and Research Organisation (ISRO) known for her iconic voice during rocket countdown launches passed away.

Valarmathi, originally from Ariyalur in Tamil Nadu, suffered a heart attack and passed away in Chennai on Saturday evening, as reported by Wion News. Her final countdown announcement was for the highly successful Chandrayaan-3 launch on July 14.

Dr. PV Venkitakrishnan, a former ISRO director, expressed his condolences on social media (formerly Twitter), saying, "The voice of Valarmathi Madam will not be there for the countdowns of future missions of ISRO from Sriharikota. Chandrayaan-3 was her final countdown announcement. An unexpected demise. Feel so sad. Pranams!"

Tributes and condolences are pouring in on social media to honor the late scientist.

N. Valarmathi, born on July 31, 1959, joined ISRO in 1984 and played a pivotal role in numerous missions. She served as the project director for RISAT-1, India's first domestically developed Radar Imaging Satellite (RIS) and the country's second satellite of this kind. RISAT-1 was successfully launched in April 2012.

In addition, on Independence Day in 2015, Valarmathi achieved a significant milestone by becoming the first recipient of the prestigious Abdul Kalam Award, established by the Government of Tamil Nadu in memory of the late former President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, often referred to as the 'Missile Man of India.' Dr. Kalam had passed away in July of that same year.