Kalpana Kalahasti

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Kalpana Kalahasti joined the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in 2003 as a young scientist, working across satellite programmes that demanded precision long before public attention turned to space missions. In those early years, she contributed to communication and remote-sensing satellites, building expertise in propulsion systems for accurate positioning and in advanced imaging technologies that power high-resolution Earth observation.

With this foundation, Kalpana became part of the Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan), a project that redefined India’s space ambitions, and later the Chandrayaan-2 lunar mission. When Chandrayaan-2 fell short of its final objective, the setback became a turning point rather than an endpoint. Kalpana was closely involved in the effort to reassess, redesign, and rebuild, work that would later shape Chandrayaan-3.

Appointed Deputy Project Director of Chandrayaan-3 in 2019, Kalpana served as the mission’s second-in-command, with responsibility for translating hard lessons into practical systems. 

Today, Kappana serves as an aerospace engineer and senior scientist at ISRO, representing the continuity behind India’s space achievements.