Interview with the sole Indian scientist on Rosetta Mission

Philae Lander of European Space Agency’s Rosetta mission became the first space probe to soft land on the surface of the comet in 2014.

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Dr Chaitanya Giri in lab. (Source: Express photo)

When Philae Lander of European Space Agency’s Rosetta mission became the first space probe to soft land on the surface of the comet last year, scientists knew exciting times were ahead. “Now the discovery of 16 prebiotic molecules – crucial building blocks for the formation of life – has just opened a Pandora’s box,” the youngest and sole Indian scientist, 27-year-old Dr Chaitanya Giri told The Indian Express.

Landing on an alien body, at 515 million km from the Earth and 3 astronomical units (AU) from the Sun, was far more challenging than imagined. But now the discovery of prebiotic molecules – being present so close to each other – on a remote comet – 67/P Churyumov- Gerasimenko – is exciting and perplexing as well, Giri, when contacted in Germany said.

These are the first organic molecules to be ever reported directly, from in situ analyses, from the surface of a comet and has been published online on July 31 in the journal ‘Science’.

Philae- on November 12, 2014, became the first ever man-made object to soft land on a comet’s surface and the first such probe to perform experiments directly on it. While Dr Helmut Rosenbauer, the former Director of the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (MPS) is the tall personality behind Philae’s genesis, Giri is grateful that Rosetta is a true blue international space mission.

Giri who after finishing his M Sc in biophysics and B Sc in chemistry from Mumbai- spent his doctoral hours at the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (MPS) in Germany and was a part of the Rosetta mission – that achieved the impossible – landing a robotic spacecraft on a comet.

“The mission has accommodated people from many nationalities both European and Non-European including me – an Indian! I have now nearly half-a-decade experience of working with Cometary Sampling and Composition Experiment (COSAC – the instrument that has reported organic molecules on comet 67P), it being the central focus of my PhD,” Dr Giri said.

Currently in the capacity of COSAC’s Co-Investigator, Giri participated in the long-listing of all the possible molecules that could form the data signals. The long-list was shortened with confirmatory tests conducted on COSAC’s test-bed, present at the MPS, with more relevant molecules.

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“In the course of past eleven years since the launch, COSAC (our instrument) was regularly switched on to check whether it sniffs any organic molecule passing by, it never did, which itself was a good sign. However on November 12, 2014 immediately after the first touch-down some dust generated due to the lander’s impact on the surface voluntarily went inside the instrument and voila COSAC had ‘sniffed’ organics! Although the entire sequence of event, after the first touchdown that transpired on November 12, were unforeseen the instrument was designed to measure in such accidental situations,” Dr Giri told The Indian Express further via an email interview.

Giri and the team for the next five months meticulously studied the data and noted down the molecules that give a best fit with the obtained data. All the best fitting molecules that we report are potentially prebiotic. They are known to play a major role in several known biochemical processes and are crucial building blocks for the formation of life.

With the discoveries made by all the instruments on Philae, our understandings about the history and present of the Solar System are being changed. These discoveries are no less than opening up of a Pandora’s Box and they will possibly spawn a wide array of scientific investigations. “ Some that I can think of are exploring further the minerals and organic molecules found on comet; differentiating and cataloguing comets based on their innate materials; simulating how extraterrestrial prebiotic material can actually lead to the origin of life on early Earth; deciphering which batch of comets actually delivered water that form today’s oceans so forth,” Giri explained.

Giri who was felicitated by the Max Planck Society with its annual Dieter Rampacher prize for the youngest doctorate with outstanding work said. “Appreciation pushes one to do even better work. I stand on the shoulders of giants and while I had a small yet poignant role in this endeavour, am grateful to my team – specially principal scientist Fred Goesmann and the MPS for giving me this opportunity,” Giri said. He added that Rosetta would give rise to a diverse array of space missions not only to planets but to other comets, planetary satellites, asteroids and dwarf planets. Rosetta has shown us that we have only wetted our toe nails in this vast cosmic ocean!

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

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