N Valarmathi, the voice behind ISRO's mission launch passes away at 64

N. Valarmathi, the voice behind the crucial ISRO space missions, died on Saturday night. The Tamil Nadu-born scientist was reportedly sick for some time and passed away because of cardiac arrest

ISRO scientist N Valarmathi, the voice behind many ISRO mission launches, including Chandrayaan-3, has died at the age of 64, according to a report. The Chandrayaan-3 launch, which occurred on July 14, was her last.

According to a report, Valarmathi died on Saturday evening after suffering a heart attack in Chennai. A former ISRO Director Dr. P V Venkitakrishnan took to X (Twitter), to mourn her death and stated, "The voice of Valarmathi Madam will not be there for the countdowns of future missions of ISRO from Sriharikotta. Chandrayan 3 was her final countdown announcement. An unexpected demise. Feel so sad. Pranams!”

Who is N Valarmathi?

Valarmathi was born on July 31, 1959 in Ariyalur in Tamil Nadu. She joined ISRO in 1984 and played a vital part in various missions. She graduated from the Government College of Technology in Coimbatore after taking her schooling from Nirmala Girls Higher Secondary School.

She served as the project director for RISAT-1, India's first domestically designed Radar Imaging Satellite (RIS) and the nation's second such satellite. RISAT-1 was effectively launched in April 2012.

Also, on Independence Day in 2015, Valarmathi accomplished an important achievement by becoming the first recipient of the renowned Abdul Kalam Award, founded by the Government of Tamil Nadu in memory of the late former President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam. In July of the same year, Dr. Kalam had passed away.

Valarmathi’s demise: Condolences 

Condolences are pouring in via social media to honour the late ISRO researcher. 

    • One user wrote, ''I am so sorry to hear about the passing of Valarmathi Madam. She was a true inspiration to many, and her voice will be missed during every launch. Om Shanti.''

      

    • Another stated, ''I noticed her absence during the #AdityaL1 launch. I thought she might be out of the office or something. But I didn't expect this sad news. I'll really miss her. Om Shanti.''

      

    • A third added, ''Very, very sad to hear this. We worked closely with her for our Vikram-S launch last year, for which she was the voice for the launch countdown.''

      

    • A fourth mentioned, ''Her voice embarked the beginning of the remarkable historic journey for the country. She will always be remembered in the iconic moment of Indian space accomplishments. May her soul rest in peace and God give strength to her family.''