The sari. A garment of history, of protest, of politics. Now, it hangs in a glass case at the Museum of Science and Industry in Tacoma, Washington. The sari worn by Dr. Ritu Karidhal, the ‘rocket woman’ of India's Mars Orbiter Mission. It is more than fabric. It is a flag. A flag planted on the frontier of space exploration. And from Whitehall to Glasgow, the British space establishment is paying its respects.
The display, unveiled earlier this week, has triggered a quiet ripple of admiration across the UK space sector. Dr. Karidhal, a senior scientist at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), became a global icon when her sari-clad image flashed around the world during the 2013 Mars Orbiter Mission. That mission, named Mangalyaan, cost less than the Hollywood film ‘Gravity’. It made India the first Asian nation to reach Mars, and the first country ever to do so on its first attempt.
“The sari is a symbol of breaking stereotypes and pushing boundaries,” said Dr. Alice Bunn, former director of policy at the UK Space Agency, in a statement to this bureau. “It reminds us that space is not just for astronauts in suits. It is for scientists in saris too.” Bunn’s sentiment echoes a broader mood. The UK space sector, worth £17.5 billion and employing 47,000 people, has long sought to diversify its workforce. The ‘rocket woman’s’ sari is now a campaign prop. An unlikely one, perhaps, but effective.
The timing is interesting. Just last month, the UK Space Agency announced a £50 million fund for boosting diversity in the sector. Critics called it virtue signalling. Supporters called it necessary. The sari display gives the initiative a tangible icon. It is hard to argue against the image of a woman in a sari guiding a spacecraft to Mars. Harder still to claim that space is a man’s game.
Behind the scenes, there is more at play. The UK and India are deepening their space ties. A joint working group on space technology met in New Delhi in October. The agenda included satellite navigation, earth observation, and the Gaganyaan programme, India’s first manned space mission. British companies like Airbus and Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd are already partners. The sari, in a way, is a diplomatic bridge.
But let’s not get too misty-eyed. The display is in the United States, not the UK. And while British officials are quick with the tweets and press releases, the real hard graft of space collaboration is still in its infancy. Funding is tight. Brexit has shaken confidence in UK-EU space partnerships. India, meanwhile, is looking to the US and Russia for its heaviest cooperation.
Still, the salute from the UK space sector is genuine. It is a recognition that space is an arena where representation matters. And perhaps a hint that, in the headwinds of global competition, the UK could do worse than to look to Bangalore for inspiration. A woman in a sari, who reached beyond the sky. Sometimes, that is the story.
