Chandrayaan-3: Meet the brilliant minds behind India's third Moon mission
The countdown for India's third lunar exploration mission, Chandrayaan-3, began earlier on Friday. If all goes well, India is 40 days away from being the fourth country to land a spacecraft on the lunar surface. Notably, Chandrayaan-3 is the result of countless hours spent by an exceptional group of scientists. Let's take a look at some of the brains behind India's lunar dream.
ISRO chairman Somanath played significant role in Chandrayaan-3
No discussion about Chandrayaan-3 can begin without S Somanath, the chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Before assuming responsibility for the nation's space dreams, Somanath was the director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) and Liquid Propulsions Systems Centre, the institutions that play a significant role in developing India's rocket technology. Chandrayaan-3 mission caught steam during his tenure as ISRO's chairman.
P Veeramuthuvel, leader of Chandrayaan-3 mission
Chandrayaan-3 is the brainchild of Villupuram native P Veeramuthuvel. An alum of IIT Madras, Veeramuthuvel is the project director of the mission. A senior scientist at ISRO, Veeramuthuvel has three decades of experience at the space agency. In 2019, he assumed control of the Chandrayaan-3 project. Veeramuthuvel replaced M Vanitha, who helmed the Chandrayaan-2 project.
VSSC director S Unnikrishnan Nair helped in rocket's development
The lunar mission will hitch a ride to space on the Launch Vehicle Mark 3 (LVM3), ISRO's heaviest and most powerful rocket. The VSSC has played a significant role in developing the LVM3. The twin S-200 boosters of the rocket were designed and developed by the VSSC. S Unnikrishnan Nair, the VSSC's director, played a lead role in the rocket's development.
Mohan Kumar is Chandrayaan-3 mission director
A space mission cannot be completed without the help of a group of talented and hardworking individuals. Veeramuthuvel might be the leader of the project, but he has been able to count on the brilliance of mission director Mohan Kumar and vehicle director Biju C Thomas. Kumar is the head of the Fabrication of Composites at VSSC, while Thomas is an engineer at ISRO.
54 female engineers/scientists contributed to Chandrayaan-3
Chandrayaan-3 marks the culmination of the work of several people. It may look like an all-male mission due to the presence of men in top leadership roles. However, that's not the case. Around 54 female engineers/scientists have worked directly on the mission. According to an ISRO official, they are "associate and deputy project directors and project managers of various systems."
