Have a look at DRDO scientist Sheena Rani’s biography, family and education
Yesterday, India tested the Agni-5 missile with many warheads, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced it as ‘Mission Divyastra’.
A scientist named Sheena Rani working on Agni missiles since 1999 led the project from Hyderabad’s missile complex.
Who is DRDO scientist Sheena Rani behind Agni-5 missile test, biography, age, family, husband and education
57-year-old Sheena Rani is a scientist at DRDO’s Advanced Systems Laboratory in Hyderabad. Rani is being celebrated as India’s latest hero who has now been named as ‘Divya Putri’. She revealed that she is proud to be a part of DRDO which is protecting India.
Sheena Rani…the 'Divya Puthri' behind yesterday's successful launch of India's 'Divyasthra', the MIRV Agni 5. A trained electronics and communications engineer with expertise in computer science, Sheena Rani studied at the College of Engg at Thiruvananthapuram pic.twitter.com/8WFBwAbRZh
— Anil Balakrishnan (@akbhere) March 12, 2024
Sheena Rani, who’s trained in electronics and communications engineering with computer science knowledge, studied at the College of Engineering in Thiruvananthapuram. Before her tenure at DRDO, Rani dedicated eight years to the Vikram Sarabhai Space Center (VSSC) which is India’s eminent hub for civilian rocketry exploration.
Since 1999, Ms. Rani has been working on the launch control systems for all Agni missiles. She finds inspiration from India’s ‘Missile Man’, former President and DRDO head, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam. It’s interesting because she’s following a similar career path to Dr. Kalam.
Like him, she began at ISRO’s Vikram Sarabhai Space Center and then joined DRDO to lead the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program. She also credits Dr. Avinash Chander for shaping her career. He’s a missile technologist who led DRDO during challenging times.
Dr. Chander praised Sheena Rani as someone who’s always smiling, ready to innovate, and incredibly dedicated to the Agni missile program. He called yesterday’s launch a significant achievement for her.
அக்னி 5: அசத்திய பெண் விஞ்ஞானி#AgniMissile |#DRDO |#Scientist |#SheenaRanihttps://t.co/y4W3uzOWeZ pic.twitter.com/dMDrIMU544
— Dinamalar (@dinamalarweb) March 12, 2024
Sheena Rani’s husband
Sheena Rani’s spouse, PSRS Sastry, contributed his expertise to DRDO’s missile projects alongside her. He was in charge of the Kautilya Satellite launched by ISRO in 2019. This satellite is used for gathering electronic intelligence. DRDO confirmed the first successful flight test of the Agni-5 missile with MIRV technology.
The test, called ‘Mission Divyastra’, happened at Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Island in Odisha. Different telemetry and radar stations tracked multiple re-entry vehicles. The mission met all planned goals. Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised DRDO scientists for their work on Mission Divyastra.
He commended their efforts in successfully conducting the first flight test of the Agni-5 missile with MIRV technology. The missile changes regional geopolitics and boosts our military strength. It’s made using advanced indigenous technology. The team is proud they achieved all their goals.
The new weapon system from DRDO has MIRV technology, meaning one missile can release multiple warheads to hit different targets at the same time. This helps avoid enemy anti-ballistic missile defenses. India has now joined a group of countries including the US, UK, Russia, France, and China, which have MIRV technology. It’s the sixth country with MIRV-capable missiles.
MIRV payloads mean one missile carries multiple nuclear warheads, each set to hit a different target. This lets India use one missile effectively, reaching targets over 5,000 km away in the east and west. To ensure effectiveness, the system includes homegrown avionics systems and precise sensor packages. These help the re-entry vehicles reach their targets accurately, according to sources.