Meet Sheena Rani, a 57-year-old female scientist at the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) who played a crucial role in India's Agni-V missile test as part of 'Mission Divyastra'.
Hailing from India's Kerala state's Thiruvananthapuram city, Rani was working as a scientist at the Advanced Systems Laboratory of the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) in Hyderabad.
Missile Woman: Meet Sheena Rani, Scientist Behind India’s Deadliest Weapon Agni-V MIRV
© Photo : Twitter/@girishjohar
Inspired by India's missile man, the legendary APJ Abdul Kalam, former Chief of DRDO and President of India, Rani embarked on a journey to fulfill her dream of becoming a successful scientist.
She then spent eight years honing her skills at the renowned Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), India's foremost laboratory for civilian rocketry.
After the Pokhran-II nuclear tests in 1998, Rani joined DRDO through lateral entry in 1999 and has since played an active role in the Agni missile program.
Rani's contributions have garnered her well-deserved accolades, including the esteemed "Scientist of the Year" award in 2016.
She went on to marry PSRS Sastry, a scientist from DRDO, who shared her passion for missile projects and backed her dream. Sastry was actively involved in the 2019 ISRO-launched Kautilya Satellite, which was designed specifically for electronic intelligence gathering.
India is now one of only six countries in the world, alongside China, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Russia, capable of deploying MIRV missile systems.