Fifty-six-year-old Mangala Mani has become ISRO's first woman scientist to spend 403 days in Antarctica. Mani was the only woman in the 23-member expedition team that went to Indian research station, Bharati, in 2016. During the selection process, Mani was sent to high altitude places like Badrinath for acclimatisation and was made to carry heavy backpacks to check her endurance.