HYDERABAD: Gadwal, once considered among the most underdeveloped regions in the country, has emerged as a source of pride with the remarkable achievement of Kummari Krishna, who played a pivotal role in the successful execution of the Chandrayaan-3 mission on Wednesday. Krishna developed crucial software, spanning six months, for data processing analysis for the Vikram lander’s two payloads, LHVC and ILSA.
Born to Kummari Lakshmi Devi and Kummari Maddileti, both labourers from Vundavalli, Krishna also has a sibling, Shakuntala. He faced his greatest challenge at the tender age of 5 when polio afflicted both his legs. After earning his BTech degree in computer science engineering, Krishna, after a brief stint with a private firm, took the ICRB exam of ISRO and secured AIR 4. In 2018, he was elevated as a Group-I level officer, commencing his tenure as a scientist at the UR Rao Satellite Centre in Bengaluru, focusing on electro-optics systems.
Speaking to TNIE, Krishna’s father Maddileti, employed at a poultry farm, said he made many sacrifices to fuel his son’s education. Krishna’s role continues as he dedicates the next 14 days to processing, receiving and analysing the mission data, he added.
NTPC scientist’s crucial role
Another remarkable contributor to Chandrayaan-3’s success is Venkat Karthik, a scientist hailing from Ramagundam NTPC. Son of Satya Prasad and Ramadevi, residents of Jyothi Nagar in Godavarikhani, Venkat pursued engineering at CBIT, followed by further studies at IISc, Bengaluru. His journey brought him to Sriharikota as a scientist, where he played a key part in the mission.
Carving dreams
Residing in Jadcherla, Santosh Chary is a master in carving miniature sculptures. An enthusiast of Chandrayaan-3’s, he celebrated the achievement by meticulously carving out the Vikram lander on the tip of a pencil.