New Delhi: N Valarmathi, a scientist of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and the voice behind the countdown for the Chandrayaan-3 mission, passed away on Saturday evening in Chennai. She suffered a cardiac arrest and was admitted to a private hospital, where she breathed her last. She was 50 years old and hailed from Ariyalur in Tamil Nadu.
Valarmathi was a familiar voice for the viewers of ISRO’s live streams, as she announced the pre-launch countdown for all the missions for the last six years. She had a distinctive style and tone of making the call-outs, which became instantly recognizable. Her final countdown was for the PSLV-C56 rocket, which lifted off on July 30 with seven Singaporean satellites on board.
She was also involved in the Chandrayaan-3 mission, which was launched on July 14 and achieved a successful lunar orbit insertion. The mission was a historic achievement for India, as it became the first country to land a rover on the far side of the moon.
Many people, including Union Minister Rajiv Chandrashekhar and former ISRO director Dr PV Venkatakrishnan, expressed their condolences and paid tribute to Valarmathi on social media. They remembered her as a dedicated and talented scientist who played an important role in India’s space program.
