ISRO Scientist VR Lalithambika Receives France’s Highest Civilian Award

GG News Bureau
Bengaluru, 29th Nov. V R Lalithambika, former Director of the Human Spaceflight Programme at ISRO, has been honored with the prestigious French civilian award, Légion d’Honneur, for her contributions to space cooperation between France and India.

The award was presented to her by Thierry Mathou, the Ambassador of France to India, on behalf of the French government.

The Légion d’Honneur, established in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte, is the highest civilian award bestowed by the French Republic to individuals who have rendered exceptional service to France, regardless of their nationality.

Lalithambika, a renowned scientist at ISRO specializing in advanced launch vehicle technology, has played a significant role in the development of various ISRO rockets, particularly the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), as stated in a press release issued by the Embassy of France in India.

In her role as the Director of the Human Spaceflight Programme in 2018, Lalithambika collaborated closely with the French National Space Agency (Centre national d’études spatiales – CNES) for India’s Gaganyaan project.

Lalithambika played a crucial role in the signing of the first joint agreement between CNES and ISRO for cooperation in human spaceflight. This agreement facilitated the exchange of specialists between the two countries to work on space medicine.

In 2021, Lalithambika also coordinated with CNES for the signing of a second agreement between France and India, focusing on the Indian astronaut program. This agreement involves the training of India’s flight physicians and CAPCOM mission control teams at the CADMOS center for the development of microgravity applications and space operations at CNES in Toulouse, France, and at the European Astronaut Centre (EAC) in Cologne, Germany.

French Ambassador Mathou expressed his delight in awarding the Chevalier of the Légion d’Honneur to Dr. V.R. Lalithambika, acknowledging her as a distinguished scientist and a pioneer in space technology. He praised her expertise, achievements, and relentless efforts, which have contributed to the Indo-French space partnership. Upon receiving the award, Lalithambika expressed her hope that this honor would inspire more women to pursue careers in STEM and excel in their chosen fields.