- Nandini Harinath wore a red and blue saree during Mars Orbiter Mission's critical operation in 2013
- Nandini's saree is the first Indian object in the Smithsonian's interplanetary science collection
- The saree symbolises India's Mars mission success and inspires women in science careers
Indians sat in front of their televisions, reciting prayers as they eagerly awaited the launch of the Mars Orbiter Mission spacecraft from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, on November 5, 2013. Meanwhile, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) scientists, including Nandini Harinath, who was the deputy operations director for the Mars Orbiter Mission, held their breath, hoping the mission would succeed.
Speaking to the BBC, Nandini Harinath shared that she opted for a red and blue silk saree for the "single most critical day" for the mission in December 2013. It became the first object from India collected for the interplanetary science collection at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington.
Along with other ISRO scientists, Nandini was also in the control room to push the spacecraft out of Earth's orbit and embark on a 300-day journey towards Mars orbit. "It was a do-or-die moment, the most critical operation in the mission," Nandini told the publication, adding, "We had to decide where the spacecraft goes, how it goes and when it goes. The success of the mission depended on what we did that day."
On September 24, 2014, Mangalyaan successfully became a part of Mars orbit, making ISRO the fourth entity to achieve this feat, after the Soviet space programme, NASA, and the European Space Agency.
First Saree At The US Space Museum
Nandini, along with Anuradha TK and Ritu Karidhal, became a source of national pride, grabbing the spotlight and inspiring young girls to pursue rocket science, a field primarily dominated by men.
Matt Shindell, a space history curator at the Smithsonian museum, told the BBC that he found the viral image of saree-clad women at ISRO celebrating the success of the Mars mission "very compelling".
"I felt it would be a great story to tell, the story of these 'Rocket Women' who were at the front and centre of this important mission," he added.
In 2020, he reached out to Nandini by email to discuss what object could represent India's Mars mission and her role in the success of Mangalyaan.
"I asked her what object she'd be willing to part with. We agreed on the saree that she was wearing on the day Mangalyaan left Earth's orbit," Shindell noted.
Once the saree and blouse reached the museum, Beth Knight, a textiles conservator, learned how to drape them on the mannequin through YouTube.
The museum, which is visited by tens of thousands of people weekly, has many objects from India on display, but most of them are from the Air Force and airline companies.
"But Nandini's sari is the first object I have collected from India for our interplanetary science collection and it's our very first sari," Shindell added.
It is displayed in the 'Features in Gallery' of the museum, right next to the iconic blue T-shirt worn by Sally Ride, the first American woman in space, on the 1983 Shuttle mission.
The idea behind this collection is to convey to visitors what has recently happened in space and the possibility of what can happen in the future.
Speaking about Nandini's saree, he said, "One, it's a symbol of India's national pride in its first Mars mission and the country's successful space programme. The second is her personal story which is inspiring as her success could encourage more women to pursue careers in science."
People visiting the museum are often intrigued by the saree on display and show interest in knowing about its origins and significance.