Samarth Bharat Parva - Meenal Sampat

Of the West, the goal is individual independence, the language money-making education, the means politics; of India, the goal is Mukti, the language the Veda, the means renunciation.

-- Swami Vivekananda
{CWSV - 4 : Translations: Prose : Modern INDIA }

{Swami Vivekananda's Rousing Call to Hindu Nation : The Message:  The Task of Regeneration : Its Basis and Direction}

Meenal Sampat, also known as Meenal Rohit, is a highly respected name at ISRO. India's Mars mission stands as one of the country's most ambitious space projects to date. Many scientists contributed to the success of this campaign, and among today's forefront scientists, Meenal Sampat is noteworthy. As a systems engineer, she played a pivotal role, dedicating 18 straight hours of work in a windowless room towards completing this mission. She also avoided taking vacations for two years during the Mars mission.

Born in Rajkot, Gujarat, into an ordinary family, Meenal Sampat initially dreamt of becoming a doctor as a child. However, a space program broadcast during her eighth grade changed her aspirations, leading her to pursue a career in space. Gifted since childhood, she earned a gold medal in Electronics and Communication Engineering from the Nirma Institute of Technology and Science, Ahmedabad, Gujarat University, in 1999 and persistently pursued her ambitions thereafter.

Commencing her career at ISRO, she began as a satcom engineer and later transferred to the Space Application Center. Instrumental in developing and delivering the Mars Orbiter mission payload from the Space Application Center, Meenal Sampat was one of the 500 scientists and engineers who contributed to the Mars mission. As a systems engineer for the mission, she contributed in assembling and testing the sensors carried by the orbiter. Her contributions extended to components for the Methane Sensor (MSM), the Lyman-Alpha Photometer (LAP), the Thermal Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (TIS), and the Mars Color Camera (MCC). Her unwavering dedication led her to abstain from vacations for two years during this crucial period. Kudos to her persistent commitment.

Recognized by ISRO, Meenal Sampat received the 'Young Scientist Merit' Award in 2007 for her contribution to the telemedicine program and the 'ISRO Team Excellence' Award in 2013 for her work on INSAT 3D meteorological payloads. Acknowledging her efforts during the Mars mission, the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh praised Meenal Sampat and the team for completing the mission within the designated time frame.

Having also served as Chief Engineer and Project Manager for projects like Chandrayaan 2, she currently holds the responsibility of Sub-Project Director. Wishing her all the best for her future endeavors.

- Sarvesh Fadnavis,  courtesy : https://sarveshfadnavis.blogspot.com