New Delhi: The central government on Wednesday appointed senior rocket scientist S. Somnath has been appointed as the next chief of the Indian Space and Research Organization (ISRO). s. Somnath is a well known scientist. He has been instrumental in the development of the GSLV Mk-III launcher and was the team leader for the integration of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) early in his career. He has been appointed as Secretary, Department of Space and Chairman of the Space Commission for a term of three years.
s. Somnath is working as the Director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Center (VSSC) since January 22, 2018. He will now replace K Sivan as the next head of ISRO, one of the world’s leading space agencies.
Somnath is an expert in the areas of Launch Vehicle Structural Systems, Structural Dynamics, Mechanisms, Pyro Systems and Launch Vehicle Integration. He has made significant contributions to mechanical integration designs. S. Somnath was also involved in improving GSAT-6A and PSLV-C41 so that Remote Sensing Satellites could be launched properly.
s. Somnath holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from TKM College of Engineering, Kollam and a Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. He joined VSSC in 1985. He was the Project Director of GSLV Mk-III from June 2010 to 2014. He became Deputy Director of ‘Structure’ Unit in VSSC and Director of VSSC till November 2014.
first published:Jan. 12, 2022, 8:19 p.m.
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