A saree worn by Indian space scientist Nandini Harinath during a major milestone in India’s Mars Orbiter Mission has become part of an exhibit at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC.
Known globally for displaying historic aircraft, spacecraft and aviation artefacts, the museum has now added an item tied to India’s space journey — a saree worn by one of ISRO’s prominent women scientists during the successful launch phase of the country’s first interplanetary mission.
The garment belonged to Harinath, one of the Indian Space Research Organisation’s celebrated “rocket women”, who played a key role in the Mars Orbiter Mission, also known as Mangalyaan.
Who Is Nandini Harinath?
Nandini Harinath was born and raised in India to a mother who worked as a mathematics teacher and a father who was an engineer.
Before joining Indian Space Research Organisation, she completed both her undergraduate and postgraduate studies in engineering.
Over a career spanning more than two decades, she has contributed to over 14 missions at ISRO.
Reflecting on her work during an earlier interaction with Condé Nast Traveller, Harinath had said, “Each one you work on feels like it's the most important.”
However, she described the Mars Orbiter Mission as particularly memorable because of the national and global attention it received.
“But Mangalyaan was special because of the number of people watching us. And it feels great to be recognised for your expertise and competence. The PM shook hands with us. NASA congratulated us; they're now collaborating with us. But it's not just the industry, it's the wider public, institutions, schools—they're all so interested! They're even following it on social media,” she said.
How Star Trek Inspired Her Space Journey
During an appearance at ET Enterprise AI’s Making AI Work Summit 2025 in Bengaluru, Harinath spoke about how her fascination with space exploration began during childhood.
“There was this very popular serial on TV called Star Trek,” she recalled.
“My entire family were absolute fans—we wouldn’t miss a single episode. Another film I loved watching again and again was Apollo 13. Those stories of exploration and teamwork stayed with me,” she added.
Her remarks offered a glimpse into how popular science-fiction and space dramas inspired a generation of Indian scientists who later became part of the country’s rapidly growing space programme.
Why The Saree Is Being Displayed
The Smithsonian museum explained the significance of the saree in a post shared on Instagram.
“One of India’s ‘Rocket Women,’ Nandini Harinath helped her country reach Mars. She wore this saree to work the day the Indian Space Research Organization’s spacecraft successfully left Earth’s orbit and began its 300-day journey to Mars,” the museum wrote.
The museum further said, “As a rocket scientist and the Mars Orbiter Mission’s deputy operations director, Harinath was integral to mission planning and operations. Far exceeding its mission of six to 10 months, the spacecraft spent eight years in orbit, documenting Mars’ surface and atmosphere.”
It added, “The team’s success made India the first Asian country and the fourth country in the world to reach Mars. The sarees worn by the mission’s women leaders came to symbolize their national identity and India’s success in space.”
The museum also shared visuals of a mannequin dressed in the saree, describing it as “a vibrant red and blue sari with intricate patterns”.
“The sari includes a blue blouse and a red and blue draped fabric with detailed designs,” it added.
What Was The Mangalyaan Mission?
The Mars Orbiter Mission, popularly known as Mangalyaan, was Indian Space Research Organisation’s first interplanetary mission.
The spacecraft was launched from Satish Dhawan Space Centre on November 5, 2013.
According to ISRO, the mission aimed “to test key technologies for interplanetary exploration and to use its five science instruments to study the Martian surface and atmosphere from orbit.”
The mission became a landmark moment for India’s space programme after the spacecraft successfully entered Mars orbit in 2014, making India the first Asian nation and the fourth country globally to achieve the feat.
Originally expected to last between six and 10 months, the spacecraft remained operational for nearly eight years, significantly exceeding expectations and strengthening India’s reputation in cost-effective space exploration.
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