Senior eminent rocket scientist S Somanath has been approved to be appointed as the tenth chairman of the ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) and the secretary, Department of Organisation (DoS). He will be replacing K. Sivan who has completed his term which includes a 1-year extension.
Dr. Somnath who is serving presently as the Director of the VSSC (Vikram Sarabhai Space Center) has told that the most important responsibility is to create a space enterprise in India where all the stakeholders which include DoS, ISRO, IN-SPACe, industry, and start-ups will be a part of the efforts to expand the space program on a much bigger scale. This is the primary responsibility of ISRO. Somanath had earned his degree in B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering from the TKM College of Engineering located at Kollam. He earned his Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from the IISc (Indian Institute of Science) with a gold medal and he specialized in structures, dynamics, and control in his masters.
Dr. Somanath VSSC in the year 1985 and he was a team leader for the integration of PSLV during its early phases. He was responsible for handling areas of mechanisms, the pyro systems, the integration, and also the satellite launch service management as the project manager of PSLV. He joined the GSLV MkIII Project in 2003 and was appointed as the Deputy Project Director who was responsible for the overall design of the vehicle, the mission design, structural design as well. He went on to become the Project Director of GSLV MkIII from the June of 2010 to 2014. The first experimental flight of the CARE Mission was completed on December 18, 2014, under his able leadership.
Before being appointed the VSSC Director, he had a 2.5-year stint as the Director of LPSC (Liquid Propulsion Systems Center). He is credited with energizing the developmental activities of the high thrust semi-cryogenic engine. He is also responsible for conceiving a fast track hardware realization and test program, for the development of throttleable engines for the lander which was used in Chandrayaan-2, and the successful flight of the electric propulsion system in the GSAT-9.
He also told that another objective will be to align the space program overall with the vision of the Indian government that has been put forth where the Department of Organization has to work as the enabler to make the expansion of space enterprise as soon as possible. This objective can be achieved through proper legislation, framework, and the guidelines that will have to be put in place.
He is the man for the moment as ISRO is preparing for some of the most important missions ever. Heartiest congratulations to him for an innovative and memorable tenure ahead.