Isro: Indian space scientist Nandini Harinath's Mars mission sari at US's Smithsonian museum

Isro scientist Nandini Harinath wore the sari on the "single most critical day" of India's Mars mission.

Watch LiveBritish Broadcasting CorporationHomeNewsFootball 2026BusinessTechnologyHealthCultureArtsTravelEarthSportAudioVideoLiveDocumentariesHomeNewsUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifyFootball 2026BusinessWorld of BusinessTechnology of BusinessNYSE Opening BellTechnologyWatch DocumentariesArtificial IntelligenceIntelligence RevolutionAI v the MindTech NowHealthWatch DocumentariesCultureWatch DocumentariesFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsWatch DocumentariesArts in MotionTravelWatch DocumentariesDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthWatch DocumentariesScienceNatural WondersClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingSportAudioPodcast CategoriesRadioAudio FAQsVideoWatch DocumentariesBBC MaestroDiscover the WorldLiveLive NewsLive SportDocumentariesSite searchHomeNewsSportFootball 2026BusinessTechnologyHealthCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveDocumentariesWeatherNewslettersWatch LiveA sari for Mars: Outfit worn by Indian 'rocket woman' at US museum17 hours agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleSmithsonian’s National Air and Space MuseumNandini Harinath's sari is displayed in Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in WashingtonGeeta PandeyBBC CorrespondentOn a day that Nandini Harinath describes as the most important of her life, the Indian space scientist turned up to the office in a vibrant red and blue silk sari.

That sari is now in pride of place in the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington.

Nandini, who was the deputy operations director for Mangalyaan, India's maiden Mars Orbiter Mission, wore the outfit on 1 December 2013.

For Nandini, saris - especially those gifted by her father – have been a go-to outfit for big days at work or whenever she represents India's space agency.

So it was an obvious choice for what she says was the "single most critical day" for the project. Nandini and other scientists from the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) were in the control room to push the spacecraft out of Earth's orbit and send it on its 300-day journey towards Martian orbit.