S. Somanath Explained

S. Somanath
Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation
Predecessor:K. Sivan
Title1:Director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre
Term Start1:24 January 2018
Term End1:14 January 2022
Predecessor1:K. Sivan
Successor1:S. Unnikrishnan Nair[1]
Title2:Director of Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre
Term Start2:1 January 2015
Term End2:23 January 2018
Predecessor2:K. Sivan
Successor2:V. Narayanan
Birth Place:Thuravoor, Cherthala, Kerala, India
Alma Mater:Thangal Kunju Musaliar College of Engineering (B.Tech., Mechanical Engineering).
Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru (M.Tech., Aerospace Engineering).
Spouse:Valsalakumari
Children:2
Order:10th

Sreedhara Panicker Somanath (born July 1963) is an Indian aerospace engineer serving as the chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).[2] Under his chairmanship, ISRO carried out the third Indian lunar exploration mission named Chandrayaan-3. The lander named Vikram and the rover named Pragyan landed near the lunar south pole region on 23 August 2023 at 18:04 IST, making India the first country to successfully land a spacecraft near the lunar south pole and the fourth country to demonstrate soft landing on the Moon.[3] [4] [5] [6] This landing gained India a proud history.

Somanath served as the director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram and director of Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre, Thiruvananthapuram.[7] [8] Somanath is known for his contributions to launch vehicle design, particularly in the areas of launch vehicle systems engineering, structural design, structural dynamics, and pyrotechnics.[9] [10]

Early life and education

Somanath was born in a Malayali Nair family[11] as child of V. Sreedhara Panicker, a Hindi teacher, and Thankamma in Thuravoor in Alappuzha district of Kerala.[12]

Somanath did his schooling at St. Augustine's High School, Aroor and completed his pre-university program from Maharaja's College, Ernakulam. He received his graduate degree in mechanical engineering from Thangal Kunju Musaliar College of Engineering, Kollam, Kerala University and a master's degree in aerospace engineering from Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore with specialization in dynamics and control. He has been awarded a Ph.D. at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras).[13]

Somanath is married to Valsala, and has a daughter and a son.[14]

Career

After his graduation, Somanath joined the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in 1985. He was associated with the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle project during its initial phase. He became associate director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre and the project director of the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III launch vehicle in 2010. He was also the deputy director of the Propulsion and Space Ordnance Entity till November 2014.

In June 2015, he took over as director of the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre at Valiamala, Thiruvananthapuram and served until January 2018. Somanath took over as director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre from K. Sivan who became chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation. In January 2022, he took over as the chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation, again succeeding K. Sivan.

In recognition of his contributions to the field of science, Somanath was awarded a Doctorate of Science (Honoris Causa) on 25 September by SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Tamil Nadu, on the occasion of the 18th Annual Convocation.[15] [16] On 23 August 2023, he as ISRO chairman spearheaded the soft landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the South Pole of the lunar surface along with other notable senior ISRO scientists.

Somanath earned his PhD from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at IIT Madras and was awarded his doctorate during the institute's 61st convocation on July 19, 2024.[17] [18]

Awards

Uttarakhand Technical University conferred an Honorary Doctorate of Literature (D.Litt.) on him during its 7th convocation held on 10 October 2023.[19]

In 2014, S Somnath received performance excellence award for GSLV Mk-III realization from ISRO.[20] [21] [22] In 2023, the Government of Karnataka felicitated him with the prestigious Rajyotsava award.[23] [24]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Dr.S. Unnikrishnan Nair . 7 February 2022 . 7 February 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220207123444/https://www.vssc.gov.in/director.html . live .
  2. Web site: Shri. S Somanath assumes charge as Secretary, Department of Space. 15 January 2022. ISRO. 14 January 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220114113533/https://www.isro.gov.in/update/14-jan-2022/shri-s-somanath-assumes-charge-secretary-department-of-space. dead.
  3. News: 6 July 2023 . Chandrayaan-3 launch on 14 July, lunar landing on 23 or 24 August . en-IN . The Hindu . 14 July 2023 . 0971-751X . 11 July 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230711031538/https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/chandrayaan-3-launch-scheduled-for-july-14-at-235-pm/article67049236.ece . live .
  4. News: India lands spacecraft near south pole of moon in historic first . en-IN . The Guardian . 23 August 2023 . 23 August 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230823031538/https://amp.theguardian.com/science/2023/aug/23/india-chandrayaan-3-moon-landing-mission . live .
  5. Web site: What foreign media said on Chandrayaan-3's historic lunar feat . 23 August 2023 . India Today . en . 24 August 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230824031537/https://www.indiatoday.in/science/chandrayaan-3/story/isro-chandrayaan-3-success-makes-global-headlines-2425581-2023-08-23 . live .
  6. Web site: चंद्रयान-3: भारत ने रचा इतिहास, चंद्रमा के दक्षिणी ध्रुव पर की सफल लैंडिंग . 23 August 2023 . Post Inshort . hi . 24 August 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230824031459/https://postinshort.in/news/india/india-created-history-by-achieving-success-in-soft-landing-on-the-south-pole-of-the-moon . live .
  7. Web site: 22 January 2018. Somanath takes charge as VSSC director. 22 January 2018. www.indiatoday.in. 23 January 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180123072101/https://www.indiatoday.in/pti-feed/story/somanath-takes-charge-as-vssc-director-1151719-2018-01-22. live.
  8. News: Somanath takes charge as VSSC director. 22 January 2018. Business Standard India. 22 January 2018. Press Trust of India. 23 January 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180123190452/http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/somanath-takes-charge-as-vssc-director-118012201055_1.html. live.
  9. Web site: New Directors for Three Major ISRO Centres: Three major ISRO Centres have new Directors from today.. 1 June 2015. www.isro.gov.in. 22 January 2018. 23 January 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180123072311/https://www.isro.gov.in/update/01-jun-2015/new-directors-three-major-isro-centres-three-major-isro-centres-have-new. dead.
  10. Web site: S Somnath takes charge as Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre's director. 22 January 2018. Laxmi. Prasanna. The Times of India. en. 26 May 2019. 19 November 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181119221822/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/thiruvananthapuram/s-somnath-takes-charge-as-vikram-sarabhai-space-centres-director/articleshow/62609273.cms. live.
  11. Web site: 2023-08-29 . എസ്.സോമനാഥ് തുറവൂർ മഹാക്ഷേത്ര ദർശനം നടത്തി . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230923063435/https://keralakaumudi.com/news/news.php?id=1138590 . 2023-09-23 . 2023-08-30 . Malayalam.
  12. News: 13 January 2022 . New Isro chief S Somanath: All you need to know . The Times of India . 23 August 2023 . 0971-8257 . 23 August 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230823131618/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kochi/new-isro-chief-s-somanath-all-you-need-to-know/articleshow/88869735.cms . live .
  13. Web site: Meet IIT Madras Alumni Who Played Crucial Role In Chandrayaan-3 Mission . 2024-06-18 . www.ndtv.com . en.
  14. Web site: 2022-01-13 . എസ്. സോമനാഥിലൂടെ വാനംതൊട്ട് വീണ്ടും മലയാളിപ്പെരുമ . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230830070223/https://www.madhyamam.com/amp/kerala/senior-rocket-scientist-somanath-is-new-isro-chairman-908815 . 2023-08-30 . 30 August 2023 . . Malayalam.
  15. Web site: SRMIST hosts 18th convocation . 25 September 2022 . 13 February 2023 . 13 February 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230213073110/https://bloncampus.thehindubusinessline.com/engineering/srm-kattankulathur-hosts-18th-convocation/article65935099.ece . live .
  16. Web site: SRM's Mega Convocation for 7380 Graduands . 13 February 2023 . 13 February 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230213073112/https://www.seasonalmagazine.com/2022/09/srms-mega-convocation-for-7380-graduands.html . live .
  17. Web site: 2024-07-19 . ISRO Chairman Somnath Gets PhD in Engineering from IIT Madras . 2024-07-20 . Times Now . en.
  18. Web site: 2024-07-19 . Village boy to ISRO chief to IIT PhD: The inspirational journey of Dr S Somanath . 2024-07-20 . WION . en-us.
  19. News: 2023-10-11 . Uttarakhand Technical University confers DLitt to Isro chairman . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20231024074219/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/dehradun/uttarakhand-technical-university-confers-dlitt-to-isro-chairman/articleshow/104330689.cms . 2023-10-24 . 2024-02-27 . The Times of India . 0971-8257.
  20. Web site: S Somanath: Personal Life, Education, Awards and Honors, Salary .
  21. Web site: Shri S. Somanath .
  22. Web site: Alumnus Shri S Somanath appointed next ISRO Chair .
  23. Web site: Karnataka Rajyotsava award presented to ISRO’s S Somnath, journalist Maya Sharma and 66 others .
  24. Web site: ISRO Chairman S Somanath Among 68 Awardees Of Karnataka's Rajyotsava Award .

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