'Man who landed India on Moon': A recap of ISRO chief S Somanath's legacy as he bids farewell
Produced by Tarun Mishra
Produced by Tarun Mishra
Under S Somanath's leadership, ISRO achieved a historic milestone with the successful soft landing of Chandrayaan-3 near the lunar South Pole on August 23, 2023, making India the first country to reach this region and the fourth to land on the Moon.
S Somanath was awarded the prestigious IAF World Space Award for the Chandrayaan-3 mission, highlighting India's significant contributions to space exploration. This accolade was received in Milan, Italy, in October 2024
S Somanath played a pivotal role in expanding the space program's engagement with stakeholders, including the Department of Space, ISRO, IN-SPACe, and start-ups, aiming to foster a more inclusive and commercially vibrant space sector in India
Somanath was instrumental in the development of throttleable engines for the Chandrayaan-2 mission's lander and contributed to the successful flight of an electric propulsion system in GSAT-9. His work in rocket propulsion has been groundbreaking
During his tenure, he oversaw the planning and execution of several significant launches, including the SSLV, LVM-3, and PSLV, demonstrating his leadership in ensuring the continued success of ISRO's launch vehicle programs
S Somanath piloted the National Space Policy and facilitated the activation of IN-SPACe, strengthening ISRO's collaboration with non-governmental entities and boosting the space sector's growth in India.
S Somanath's journey from a small village in Kerala to becoming ISRO's chairman, documented in his autobiography "Nilavu Kudicha Simhangal," serves as an inspiration, showcasing the potential for individuals from humble beginnings to achieve great heights in science and technology.
Dr. V Narayanan, a scientist at ISRO and currently the Director of the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), will replace S Somanath as the Chairman of ISRO. He is set to take over on January 14, 2025.
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