Chairman of ISRO S. SOMANATH LIFE STORY AND HIS CONTRIBUTE FOR ISRO INDIA / ISRO chairman 2024 : – S. Somanath, the current chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), has been a pivotal figure in India’s space journey, especially during the recent Chandrayaan-3 mission. He assumed leadership of ISRO on January 12, 2022, succeeding Dr. K. Sivan, and has continued to steer the organization through a series of landmark achievements. ISRO chairman 2024, chairman of ISRO, chairman of ISRO 2024, I s. Somanath,
Early Life and Education
Born in 1963 in Thuravoor, a small village in Kerala, Somanath hails from a family with academic leanings—his father was a Hindi teacher. He completed his early schooling at St. Augustine’s High School, Aroor, and later attended Maharaja’s College, Ernakulam, for his pre-university studies. Somanath earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Thangal Kunju Musaliar College of Engineering, Kollam, and later pursued a master’s degree in aerospace engineering from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru. His academic focus was on dynamics and control, which would later become critical in his career designing launch vehicles for ISRO. Somanath further deepened his expertise by obtaining a Ph.D. from IIT Madras in 2024.
Career at ISRO
Somanath’s career at ISRO began in 1985 when he joined the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram. Early in his tenure, he became associated with the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) project, one of ISRO’s most successful and reliable launch vehicles. He quickly distinguished himself through his work on launch vehicle systems, including structural design, dynamics, and control.
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By 2010, Somanath had risen to the position of project director for the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III (GSLV Mk-III), ISRO’s most powerful launch vehicle. The GSLV Mk-III, also known as LVM-3, is capable of launching heavier payloads into space and has been instrumental in launching several critical missions, including Chandrayaan-2 and Gaganyaan.
In 2015, Somanath took over as director of the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), another key ISRO facility. During his tenure there, he worked on improving liquid propulsion systems, which are essential for launch vehicles like the PSLV and GSLV. In 2018, he returned to VSSC as its director, a role that saw him lead critical projects such as the GSLV Mk-III and the human spaceflight program.
Chairmanship of ISRO
Somanath was appointed as the chairman of ISRO in January 2022, a time when the organization was gearing up for a series of ambitious missions. Under his leadership, ISRO successfully achieved the soft landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the moon’s south pole on August 23, 2023. This historic feat made India the first country to land in this unexplored region, and only the fourth nation globally to achieve a soft landing on the lunar surface.
His leadership style is rooted in technical expertise, collaboration, and innovation. Somanath is also credited with fostering international partnerships and collaborations, which are critical to ISRO’s growing stature in the global space community.
Vision for ISRO
As ISRO Chairman, Somanath has laid out a clear roadmap for the organization’s future, which includes deep-space exploration, satellite-based communication, navigation systems, and the continuation of India’s human spaceflight program. One of his major goals is to make India self-reliant in space technology while fostering collaborations with international space agencies.
He has been a vocal advocate for increasing the role of private industries in India’s space sector, following the government’s policies of privatization and commercialization. The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) was established to help foster private players’ participation in the space sector, and Somanath’s leadership has been pivotal in this transformation.
Personal Life and Honors
Somanath is married to Valsala, and they have two children—a son and a daughter. His contributions to space science and engineering have been recognized with several awards. In 2014, he received the Performance Excellence Award from ISRO for his work on the GSLV Mk-III. He was also honored with a Doctorate of Science (Honoris Causa) by SRM Institute of Science and Technology, and in 2023, he was felicitated with the Rajyotsava Award by the Karnataka government. Additionally, Somanath received the prestigious K.P.P. Nambiar Award in 2024.
Conclusion
S. Somanath’s journey from a small village in Kerala to becoming the head of one of the world’s leading space organizations is a testament to his technical acumen, leadership skills, and vision for India’s space program. His work, particularly on the Chandrayaan-3 mission and the GSLV Mk-III, has brought ISRO international acclaim, and his continued leadership is poised to drive the organization to even greater heights. As ISRO moves forward with ambitious missions like Gaganyaan, India’s human spaceflight program, and other deep-space explorations, Somanath’s legacy will undoubtedly leave an indelible mark on the history of space exploration.