A vibrant red-and-blue silk sari worn by Indian space scientist Nandini Harinath on one of the most significant days of her career has found a permanent home at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington, according to the BBC.
The sari holds special significance for Nandini, who served as the deputy operations director for Mangalyaan, India's first Mars Orbiter Mission. As reported by the BBC, she wore the outfit on 1 December 2013, a day she considers the most important in her professional life.
For years, saris — particularly those gifted to her by her father — have been Nandini's preferred attire for major professional milestones and official events representing the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro). According to the BBC, choosing the sari for that historic day felt natural given the importance of the mission.
The date marked a crucial stage in India's Mars mission when scientists at Isro had to execute a critical manoeuvre that would propel the spacecraft beyond Earth's orbit and begin its 300-day journey toward Mars.
"It was a do-or-die moment, the most critical operation in the mission," Nandini told me when I interviewed her in 2016. "We had to decide where the spacecraft goes, how it goes and when it goes. The success of the mission depended on what we did that day."
According to the BBC, the operation was successfully completed, paving the way for Mangalyaan's historic arrival in Martian orbit on 24 September 2014. The achievement made India only the fourth nation or geo-political bloc in the world to successfully place a spacecraft in orbit around Mars.
The mission gained global attention not only for its scientific success but also for the image it projected. The BBC reported that photographs of sari-clad women celebrating the achievement at Isro went viral on social media, capturing international attention and challenging long-held stereotypes about gender roles in science and technology.
The images sparked conversations around the world about women's participation in India's space programme. While Isro later clarified that the women seen celebrating in the widely shared photograph were administrative staff members, the organisation also emphasised that several female scientists played key roles in the mission and were present in the control room during the operation, according to the BBC.
Among those inspired by the image was Matt Shindell, a space history curator at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum. Speaking to the BBC from the United States, Shindell said the photograph left a lasting impression on him.
"I felt it would be a great story to tell, the story of these 'Rocket Women' who were at the front and centre of this important mission."
According to the BBC, Shindell contacted Nandini via email in 2020, beginning a conversation about preserving an object that could symbolise both India's Mars mission and her contribution to it.
Over time, they discussed several possibilities before settling on the sari she wore during the spacecraft's departure from Earth's orbit. The garment represented not only a pivotal moment in India's space exploration journey but also the growing visibility of women in science.
"I asked her what object she'd be willing to part with. We agreed on the sari that she was wearing on the day Mangalyaan left Earth's orbit," Shindell said.
As reported by the BBC, the sari now serves as a unique artefact in one of the world's most prestigious museums, representing India's groundbreaking Mars mission and the women who helped make it possible. The display stands as a tribute to scientific achievement, cultural identity, and the role of women at the forefront of space exploration.
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