Vikram Sarabhai Space Center (VSSC) director and ISRO’s principal scientist S. Somnath (S. Somanath) has been made the new chief of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). Thiruvananthapuram-based VSSC director S. Somnath is the best rocket technologist and aerospace engineer of the country.
Before VSSC S. Somnath has also been the director of Liquid Propulsion Systems Center (LPSC), Thiruvananthapuram. He has contributed a lot in the development of ISRO’s rockets. Somnath is the master of designing the launch vehicle. He is an expert in launch vehicle systems engineering, structural design, structural dynamics and pyrotechnics.
Before becoming ISRO chief, he was engaged in upgrading GSAT-MK11 (F09). So that heavy communication satellites can be launched into space. Apart from this, S. Somnath was also engaged in improving GSAT-6A and PSLV-C41 so that remote sensing satellites could be launched properly.
Somnath has completed his pre-degree program from Maharaja’s College, Ernakulam. After this, he did mechanical engineering from TKM College of Engineering, Quillon, Kerala University. Then he earned a master’s degree in aerospace engineering from the Indian Institute of Sciences (IISc). He has expertise in Rocket Dynamics and Control.
In the year 1985 only after graduation, S. Somnath joined Vikram Sarabhai Space Center. In the initial phase, he kept working with the PSLV project. After that he was made the project director of GSLV Mk-3 rocket in the year 2010. In the year 2015, he became the chief of LPSC. In the year 2018, he became the director of VSSC.
