In the past, those eyes that searched for scientific curiosities in school yards and classrooms in Aroor have now reached great heights. Yes, Malayalee scientist and Thiruvananthapuram VSSC director S. Somnath is the new head of ISRO. Somnath has been given the new charge after the retirement of Dr. K. Sivan.
S. Somnath (58) from Alappuzha was also the director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Center (VSSC) who played a pivotal role in the Chandrayaan 2 project. Somnath is the son of Sreedharapanicker, a teacher from Thuravoor Vedamparambil, and Thankamma, a native of Aroor.
Somnath is the fifth Keralite to become ISRO chairman. M.G.K. Menon, Dr. K. Kasthurirangan, Dr. G. Madhavan Nair, Dr. The other 4 are K. Radhakrishnan. Somnath joined VSSC in 1985 and has been the Head of Liquid Propulsion System Center (LPSC). In 2018, he became the Director of VSC. The launch vehicles, including the GSLV Mark 3, were designed by Somnath. He was the project director who designed the rocket on the Chandrayaan-1 mission. He was instrumental in the construction and launch of the Chandrayaan-2 rocket.
He graduated in Engineering from TKM College of Engineering, Kollam. Masters Degree from Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. Joined VSSC in 1985. It was a time of PSLV missions. Participated in the design of the first and second launches. Then Chandrayaan became part of the mission. He was the project director who designed the rocket on the first mission.
Many of the key components of rocket construction and launch on Chandrayaan 2 were built by VSSC. Somnath was also in charge of engine design. Somnath will lead ISRO to launch India’s first space missions Gaganyan and Chandrayaan-3.
Somnath’s family lived near the Palliyarakkavu temple on the Aroor – Arukutty road and later at Thuravoor Valamangalam. His wife Valsala is a native of Poochakkal. Works in GST Department, Thiruvananthapuram. Daughter Malika and son Madhav are engineering students.
English Summary: S Somanath, New Chief Of ISRO (Space Agency)
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