Dr Tessy Thomas is the first woman to be the project director of the Agni Missile project (IV and V). She is famously known as Agni Putri, the successful launch of Agni IV Missile in 2011.
Her childhood was spent near Thumba Rocket Station, because of the atmosphere in aeronautics at an early age, she was fascinated by how things are working way up in the sky and she developed an interest in rockets.
Family:
She was born (in April 1963) and brought up in Alleppey in Kerala. She was named after Mother Teresa- Tessy. Her father was an accountant background, mother was a teacher. but when Tessy was 13 her father had a paralysis attack, so his mother stayed home to take care of him. Her parents were motivated by education.
She had been encouraged to learn about science and mathematics. An opportunity for the school's study tour to the Thumba rocket centre to see the sounding rocket, which is inspiring and develops curiosity in her mind.
Education:
Start her school in st. Michael's high school and then st. Joseph girl school. She did BTech in Electrical Engineering from Thrissur. She studied engineering with 100 rupees per month in Bank loans. She also received a scholarship to cover tuition fees. She is a brilliant student. Tessy chooses Radar systems for their final year of Engineering college and knows much about military operations. She obtained her PhD in Missile Guidance from JNTU, Hyderabad. She did MBA in Operations Management from IGNOU, New Delhi.
She got the opportunity through newspaper advertisements by the DRDO for the " MTech in Guided Missile program." It was the turning point of her life. After the tests, she was one of the ten, who were selected candidates for Missile program courses. Then went to the Pune institute of Armaments Technology for MTech in Guided Missiles. Then she joined the DRDO lab in Hyderabad, where Dr Abdul Kalam was the director.
Dr Kalam selected Tessy for "Agni":
After completing a gyroless inertial navigation project (in the navigational program jurors are required) but Tessy did a technology "without gyros do the guidance". Dr.Kalam was asked about her work which she did on a project and selected her and said "why don't you go and teach them what gyros are. In a place where they are doing with gyros." Then Tessy joined the navigation and guidance group. That was a turning point and she started carriers as a guidance designer. Initially, she worked for a Private type of navigation and guidance. When formed the Agni group, she moved to the Agni Missile project. Tessy was working on Liquid Propulsion system-based guidance.
Dr.Thomas said, "APJ Kalam was my original guru, he was my director, I have been with the Agni program since 1988, and I have designed all the Agni Missiles." Things come full circle from the Missile Man (Kalam) to the new Missile woman (Tessy Thomas).
Tessy Thomas shared her experience working with Agni at IIT Kanpur in 2019. She said "The successfully tested Agni I, which has capabilities of 300 to 700 km, then Agni II is 800 to 2000 km, and Agni III is again 3000 km. These three were based on the known technology and almost 50-ton lift-up total mass and range of only 3000km. The design of Agni 'IV' has completely changed from tip to bottom of the Missile with 22 tons of launch mass and range capabilities of 4000 km. One composite motor in the upper stage and all the technologies required for innovation have gone into Agni IV Missile. And within two years technology was adopted for the Agni V Missile. I have been the guidance designer for all Agni missions design with the team members."
As a working woman:
Mis Thomas said, "Earlier few number women in Missile technology but now the number of women has increased in this field. It has to do with being a scientist filled and a certain amount of commitment and dedication is required." Once she said it has been difficult to juggle work and family. Sometimes she felt torn between family responsibilities and her dedication to the Missile program. She mentioned that like most other working women managed a tight schedule between being a mother and being a dedicated scientist.
Working for DRDO
Tessy joined DRDO, Hyderabad in 1988, associated with the Agni project from its development flights. She has designed the guidance scheme system. Which is used in all long-range missiles. Tessy has contributed to various projects such as navigation, Guidance, Control, Missile design and Trajectory Simulation. She was assigned project director of the Agni III, and She was Project Director, for a significant project Agni IV, and Project Director for the long-range Agni V project, which was proven to be a successfully tested flight. She worked multi-dimensionally, and was responsible for the development of the strategic Missile program from 2014-2018, as a Director of the Advanced Systems Laboratory. Dr.Thomas has taken charge as a Director General of the Aeronautical System since 2018.
After joining Aeronautical System Director General, Tessy Thomas said " I am happy at the new opportunities given by DRDO and confined to handling the challenges. It's all part of life. " During her work, she will look after all the airborne systems like LCA and its variance. The Unmanned fighter aircraft, UAVs. The Nirbhay Missile- a subsonic Cruise missile. The Unmanned aerial targets for different applications. The aero engine- Indigenous engine capabilities by GTRE. Also, the Early Warning Radar Systems are the things coming under Dr Tessy Thomas's work.
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