ISRO's Chief S. Somnath Leading Chandrayaan-3 Mission and Making Headlines

ISRO's Chief S. Somnath Leading Chandrayaan-3 Mission and Making Headlines

ISRO's Chief S. Somnath Leading Chandrayaan-3 Mission (Image-Getty)

 Chandrayaan-3 mission: 

Since the beginning, ISRO's Chief S. Somnath has been making headlines. If this mission succeeds, he will be the first one to be credited with its success. Let's learn more about ISRO's Chairman.

ISRO Chairman's Full Name: 

S. Somanath, whose full name is Dr. Sivan K.

Currently serving as the Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization, he is a space scientist and rocket engineer. He gained recognition while working as the Director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Center (VSSC) in 2018.

However, this recognition didn't come overnight. It's the result of day-to-day hard work. His contributions span various fields, including blueprinting spacecraft, structural designing, spacecraft propulsion, explosive processes, and several other testing and inspection procedures. After K. Sivan's tenure as the former ISRO chief, S. Somanath took up the responsibility as ISRO Chairman from January 12, 2022.

ISRO Chief S. Somanath's biography, citizenship, and family:

Born in July 1964 in Alappuzha, Kerala, he goes by the full name Dr. Sreedhara Panicker Somanath. He is currently 59 years old and belongs to a South Indian family.

Somanath's father was a Hindi teacher at a school in Bedampurambil. He was brought up in an educated, prosperous, and culturally rich family.

His father served as a role model and a guide for Somanath's career aspirations. His father instilled in him a sense of responsibility from an early age and supported him in all endeavors. Somanath's mother, Thangamma, also played a significant role in his education, providing constant support and encouragement.

From a young age, Somanath had a keen interest in academics. He excelled as a student and had a passion for science. He completed his schooling at St. Augustine High School and later enrolled at Maharaja's College in Ernakulam. There, he pursued a Bachelor's degree in Mathematics and Physics from the University of Pre-Science.

Afterward, Somanath pursued higher studies in Mathematics and Physics at a pre-university college.

In 1985, S. Somanath obtained a Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) degree in Mechanical Engineering from TKM College of Engineering in Kollam.

In 1995, he acquired a postgraduate degree in Aerospace Engineering and Control Engineering from the Indian Institute of Science (IISC) in Bangalore.

After completing his postgraduate studies, S. Somanath worked in various companies for several years. Later, he decided to pursue a Ph.D. degree and obtained it from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras.

In 1995, S. Somanath started his first job at ISRO's Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC). In the same year, he became the Project Manager of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). In 2010, he took on the role of Project Director for the Geo-Synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle MK3 (GSLV MK3) project.

Alongside his role as Project Director, S. Somanath served as the Deputy Director of the Space Ordinance and Structures Entity for nearly four years. In 2015, he was appointed as the Director of the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre and later as the Director of VSSC.

Considering his high-ranking position, his salary is naturally substantial. S. Somanath earns approximately 2.5 lakh rupees as a monthly salary and has an annual income of around 27 lakhs. His total assets amount to between two to six crore rupees.

Somanath's family:

S. Somanath got married twenty years ago. His wife's name is Valsalakumari, and she works in the Finance Goods and Services Tax (GST) department. They have two lovely children, a son named Madhav and a daughter named Malika. Both of them have completed their engineering degrees.

Contributions:

Somanath's contributions to India's space research are not limited to his engineering expertise. He has made significant contributions in various areas, including blueprinting spacecraft, pyrotechnics, structural designing, and propulsion.

His dedication to the field of space research goes beyond his engineering contributions.