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N. Valarmathi Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 29, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birthJuly 31, 1959

Age64 Years

BirthplaceAriyalur, Tamil Nadu

ProfessionISRO Scientist

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

SpouseVasudevan

FamilyTwo children (one son, one daughter)

N. Valarmathi Biography

N. Valarmathi (1959–2023) was an Indian space scientist who played a key role at ISRO for decades. She led the RISAT-1 remote-sensing satellite project, sp

Early life and background

N. Valarmathi was born on July 31, 1959, in Ariyalur, Tamil Nadu. She completed her schooling at Nirmala Girls Higher Secondary School and went on to earn a bachelor's degree in engineering followed by a master's degree in electronics and communications. Her higher education included studies at the Government College of Technology, Coimbatore, and Anna University. Valarmathi was an Indian national and spent her early years in her hometown of Ariyalur.

Career

Valarmathi joined the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in Bangalore in 1984 and built a long career as a satellite scientist and project leader. Over the years she contributed to multiple missions across ISRO’s satellite programmes, including work on Insat 2A, IRS IC, IRS ID and TES. Her experience and leadership culminated in her appointment as project director for RISAT-1, India’s first indigenously developed radar imaging satellite. Under her direction the RISAT-1 mission was launched successfully in 2012.

Valarmathi held the distinction of being ISRO’s second female satellite project director and the first woman to head a remote-sensing satellite project. She was frequently involved in launch operations at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre and became a familiar voice during mission countdowns. Her most recent credited involvement was with the Chandrayaan 3 countdown in 2023.

Public profile

Valarmathi received formal recognition for her contributions to India’s space programme. In 2015 she was honored with the Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Award in recognition of her work on RISAT-1. The award, presented by the Tamil Nadu government, included a certificate, a cash component and a commemorative gold coin as part of the state-level recognition.

Personal life

Valarmathi was married to Vasudevan, who served as an assistant general manager at Vijaya Bank, Bangalore. The couple had two children, one son and one daughter. Physical details noted in public records list her eye and hair colour as black.

Death

N. Valarmathi passed away on September 2, 2023, in Chennai at the age of 64. The reported cause of death was cardiac arrest. Her death occurred shortly after her last public mission involvement, and on the same day as the launch of another ISRO mission, Aditya L-1.

Latest updates

Valarmathi’s final documented contribution to ISRO was participation in the countdown for the Chandrayaan 3 mission in 2023. Her leadership on RISAT-1 and long tenure at ISRO left a mark on India’s remote-sensing and satellite engineering efforts, and her receipt of the Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Award highlighted the public recognition of those contributions.
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Recent Work

Countdown of Mission Chandrayaan 3

Participated in launch countdown activities for Chandrayaan 3

2023
RISAT-1 (Project Director)

Led India’s first indigenously developed radar imaging satellite project; mission launched in 2012

2012
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Career Highlights

  1. Joined ISRO, Bangalore in 1984
  2. Project Director for RISAT-1 (PSLV-C19-RISAT-1 Mission, 2012)
  3. Second female satellite project director at ISRO and the first woman to lead a remote-sensing satellite project
  4. Worked on missions including Insat 2A, IRS IC, IRS ID and TES
  5. Recipient of the Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Award (2015)
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was N. Valarmathi born?

July 31, 1959

What is N. Valarmathi known for?

ISRO Scientist

What is N. Valarmathi’s marital status?

Married

Who is N. Valarmathi married to?

Vasudevan