Who is Sheena Rani, DRDO expert behind Agni-5 missile test under ‘Mission Divyastra’?

Missile specialist Sheena Rani led a team from the DRDO responsible for India's maiden flight test of the Agni-5 missile equipped with MIRV technology.

India on Monday conducted the first flight test of the indigenously produced Agni-5 missile, equipped to deploy multiple warheads, as part of its ‘Mission Divyastra’. With this achievement, India joins a select group of nations possessing such technology.

Following the Pokhran-II nuclear tests in 1998, Sheena Rani transitioned to DRDO through a lateral entry in 1999. Since then, she has been actively involved in the Agni missile series.(Source: X)

The missile, developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and launched from APJ Abdul Kalam Island in Odisha, successfully met all intended parameters, showcasing its Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle (MIRV) capabilities, according to the defence ministry.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and defence minister Rajnath Singh extended congratulations to the scientists of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for the successful test.

The project was led by a female scientist from DRDO, with involvement from other women scientists. Shankari Chandrasekaran was the project director, while Sheena Rani was the programme director for Agni-5.

At DRDO's Advanced Systems Laboratory, Sheena Rani led the development of the Agni-5 missile equipped with MIRV technology.

This missile, powered by a three-stage solid fuel engine, boasts a range exceeding 5,000 km. MIRVs, capable of carrying multiple warheads, pose greater destructive potential compared to conventional single-warhead missiles. DRDO has also developed other variants of the Agni missile series, including the Agni-1 with a range of 700km, Agni-2 with 2,000km, Agni-3 with 3,000km, and Agni-4 with 4,000km range.

Who is DRDO's Sheena Rani?

• Missile specialist Sheena Rani led a team from the DRDO responsible for India's maiden flight test of the Agni-5 missile equipped with MIRV technology. As the programme director at DRDO's ASL facility in Hyderabad, the 57-year-old played a pivotal role in the missile project.
• Media reports claimed that Sheena Rani holds a degree in electronics and communications engineering and specialised knowledge in computer science. She pursued her education at the College of Engineering in Thiruvananthapuram before gaining eight years of experience at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), India's premier civilian rocketry laboratory.
• Following the Pokhran-II nuclear tests in 1998, Sheena Rani transitioned to the DRDO through a lateral entry in 1999. Since then, she has been actively involved in the Agni missile programme.
• Inspired by the renowned ‘Missile Man’ and former DRDO chief and president of India APJ Abdul Kalam, Sheena Rani has received numerous achievements during her tenure at the DRDO, including the prestigious “Scientist of the Year” award in 2016.
• Her husband, PSRS Sastry, is also associated with the DRDO and has contributed to missile projects. He was involved in the Kautilya Satellite launched by the ISRO in 2019, dedicated to gathering electronic intelligence.