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S Somanath has been named the next Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) (ISRO). On January 12, 2022, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) confirmed S Somanath's appointment to the positions of Secretary, Department of Space, and Chairman, ISRO, for a combined period of three years from the date of starting the office.

S Somanath is the current Director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC). As the new ISRO Chairman, he will succeed K Sivan. On January 7, 2022, Kailasavadivoo Sivan's extended-term came to an end.

Somanath, when asked about his new position, remarked, "I am delighted to join the Department of Space as Secretary and Chairman of the Space Commission (ISRO). It is truly a privilege." He remarked, highlighting the areas of concentration, "Technology, policy, implementation, and areas where stakeholders must be considered would be areas of focus. We need to adopt newer ways and collaborate with other capacity builders, such as IT firms."

The next critical step, he explained, would be to construct a lookout from which all available areas might be better utilised. Many individuals come up with new ideas and techniques, he says, and we need to figure out how to incorporate them into the space domain and build new applications to improve the existing process' output.

He went on to say that they'll have to figure out how to cut costs significantly since space is a very expensive industry. He went on to say that now is also the time to talk about business and profit in space, and see how we can build a self-sustaining and successful space technology firm for people to enter and participate in.

7 Things to Know About S Somanath 

1. In Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, S Somanath is the Director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC). He was also the Director of Thiruvananthapuram's Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC).

2. In 1985, he began working at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Thiruvananthapuram. During the early stages of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) programme, he was involved.

3. He was a key figure in the creation of the PSLV and the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mk-III (GSLV Mk-III), both of which are now in use for launches. During PSLV's early development phase, as well as its first and successful second flights, he was a team leader for the PSLV Integration.

4. In 2010, he was named as VSSC's Associate Director (Projects) and Project Director of the GSLV Mk-III launch vehicle. Until 2014, he was the Project Director for the GSLV Mk-III launch vehicle.

5. From November 2014 to November 2015, he served as the Deputy Director of Propulsion and Space Ordinance Entity, where he contributed to the development of the GSLV's indigenous cryogenic stages.

6. Somanath is well-known for his contributions to the design of launch vehicles. He's an expert in launch vehicle systems engineering, structural dynamics, structural design, and pyrotechnics, among other things.

7. In January 2018, he was named Chairman of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, following K Sivan, who had been named Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization.

Education by S Somanath

S Somanath completed his pre-degree programme at Ernakulam's Maharaja's College.

He earned his bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Kerala University's TKM College of Engineering in Kollam.

Somanath received his Master's Degree in Aerospace Engineering with a focus in Dynamics and Control from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.

Background

On January 10, 2018, K Sivan was named ISRO Chairman, following AS Kiran Kumar. Sivan is a well-known rocket scientist who joined ISRO's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) programme in 1982. He has made significant contributions to mission planning, design, integration, and analysis from start to finish.

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