A NOSTALGIC INTERVIEW WITH MISSILE WOMAN OF INDIA Dr. TESSY THOMAS, DG AERONAUTICAL SYSTEMS –DRDO
Aviation Update|November 2020
I was interested in mathematics and science. I was fascinated by activities of the Thumba Rocket Launching Station and was also astonished by seeing aircraft flying so high
A NOSTALGIC INTERVIEW WITH MISSILE WOMAN OF INDIA Dr. TESSY THOMAS, DG AERONAUTICAL SYSTEMS –DRDO

How did your professional journey begin? What sparked your dream of working in this prestigious field?

From school days onwards, I was interested in mathematics and science. I was fascinated by activities of the Thumba Rocket Launching Station and was also astonished by seeing aircraft flying so high. This exposure sparked my imagination and a passion towards scientific research. Learning about Radar Systems as an elective in B.Tech gave insight into military applications. I was fortunate to get admission to Pune’s Institute of Armament Technology (now Defence Institute of Advanced Technology) via a written exam where 10 engineering students were selected for the post-graduate course, where I pursued masters degree in guided missiles that led to the scientific world I dreamt of.

How did you get associated with the missiles? What are your fond memories with the missile man Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam?

The world of missiles opened up for me after I happened to be picked as one of 10 youngsters from around the country for a DRDO programme in 1985. Joined IAT (Now DIAT), Pune as a faculty member in Guided Missiles for a year and moved to DRDL, Hyderabad as a Scientist in 1988.

Dr.APJ Abdul Kalam was my Guru and working with him was encouraging and challenging. He was a great personality, a true illustration of “Simple Living and High Thinking”. He was a true legend who made DRDO one of the renowned organization in the world. He showed us that determination and hard work will render and define our life the way we want it to be.

This story is from the November 2020 edition of Aviation Update.

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This story is from the November 2020 edition of Aviation Update.

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