Sushama Panigrahi, the first Odia woman scientist to be part of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), passed away in Ahmedabad on May 17. She was 67.
Panigrahi, who was suffering from cancer, is survived by her husband, a nuclear scientist, and a son, who is an engineer. She hailed from Aska in Ganjam district.
After completing her MSc in Botany from the Berhampur University and getting PhD from IIT Kharagpur, she had joined the ISRO Ahmedabad as a scientist in remote sensing in 1983. She served there for about 30 years before taking retirement in 2012.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik expressed his condolence for her family members.