The story of Chandrayaan-3, you know, but the people behind it, you don’t. India became the first country to land a spacecraft (Chandrayaan-3) near the south pole of the Moon. Today, ISRO chief Somanath visited Chengalamma temple before the Aditya L1 launch.
On August 23, 2023, India’s Chandrayaan-3 successfully landed on the lunar surface. Chandrayaan-3 is a follow-up mission for Chandrayaan-2.
Several ISRO scientists worked diligently for years after the failure of Chandryaan-2. Among all those profound scientists, one is S. Somanath, who is currently working as Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).
About S Somanath
Sreedhara Panicker Somanath, aka S. Somanath, was born in July 1963 in Alleppey, Kerala. Somnath is currently serving as the Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization.
He is known for his contributions to the design of launch vehicles, especially in the fields of structural design, structural dynamics, and pyrotechnics. He has taken part in a number of key ISRO missions.
S Somanath Family
Somnath was born into a middle-class Nair family. His father, V. Sreedhara Panicker, was a Hindi teacher, but he always pushed Somnath to read more about science. Somnath is married to Valsala, and she works in the Goods and Services Department under the Ministry of Finance.
Together, the couple has two children, Madhav and Malika. Both of their children have completed their post-graduation in engineering and are currently employed in different sectors.
S Somanath Educational Qualifications
Somnath did his schooling at St. Augustine High School in Aroor. Later he enrolled himself in Maharaja’s College, Ernakulam and then he graduated with a Mechanical Engineering degree from Thangal Kunju Musaliar College of Engineering, Kollam which is affiliated to Kerala University.
After completing graduation S. Somnath obtained a master’s degree in aerospace engineering from the Indian Institute of Science (IIS), Bangalore with a specialization in dynamics and control. Somnath also received a gold medal from IIS Bangalore.
S. Somanath Career
S. Somnath joined the prestigious Vikram Sarabhai Space Center (VSSC) in 1985. He worked as a team leader for the integration of PSLV during the initial phases.
S. Somnath took charge as Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) on January 14, 2022. Prior to that, he worked as a director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram, for 5 years. He also served as the Director of the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), Valiamala, for two and a half years.
He holds fellowships in the Indian National Academy of Engineering (INAE), the Aeronautical Society of India (AeSI), and the Astronautical Society of India (ASI). He is also a corresponding member of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA).
S Somanath Salary
Dr. Somnath has worked in various space centers, be it the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram, for 4 years or the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), Valiamala, for two and a half years.
S. Somnath, who has been working in the industry for almost 35 years, and if reports are to be believed a basic pay of almost Rs. 2.5 lakh. As he is the Chairman of ISRO, he also gets some other perquisites like house, cars, helpers, and other bonuses.
S Somanath Net Worth
Although the exact Net Worth of Chairman S. Somnath is not known. The precise information of his assets and properties is not available in the public domain. But several reports are claiming that his net worth could be around Rs. 4-5 crore.
S Somanath Facts
- S. Somanath was responsible for the overall architecture, vehicle integration, propulsion stage design, structural dynamics design, separation systems, and integration procedures development of PSLV and GSLV MkIII.
- He is a member of the International Astronautical Federation (IAF).
- He has received the Performance Excellence Award’ from ISRO and the ‘Team Excellence Award for GSLV Mk-III development.
- The Aeronautical Society of India (ASI) also awarded him the National Aeronautics Award and a Space Gold Medal.
