LUCKNOW: As ISRO launched the Chandrayaan-3 mission from Sriharikota's Satish Dhawan Space Centre on Friday, the mission was led by a woman from Lucknow.

The woman scientist leading this important mission is rocket woman Ritu Karidhal Shrivastava and she has her roots in Lucknow.

Shrivastava is an ISRO scientist. She is the mission director of the Chandrayaan-3 mission. She is a native of Lucknow though her family no longer lives here. She was also a part of the Mangalyaan mission.

Shrivastava was the deputy director of the Mars mission.

Now she is leading the important space mission. Shrivastava was born and raised in Lucknow. She did M.Sc from Lucknow University in Physics. She later studied at the prestigious Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru and then started working for India's space agency, ISRO. She is an expert in Aerospace.

Srivastava developed an interest in exploring space from a very young age. Collecting news articles related to any space activities by ISRO or the American space agency NASA was one of her hobbies during school days.

She is also called the Rocket Woman of India. She has been working with ISRO since 1997. Ritu Karidhal Shrivastava has received several awards like Young Scientist Award, ISRO team award, ASI team award, Society of India Aerospace Technology and Industries' Aerospace Woman award, etc. The Rs 615 crore Chandrayaan 3 will complete the journey to moon in 50 days. It will land on the southern pole of the moon.