Rocket scientist S Somnath to be new Isro chief, replacing K Sivan

S Somnath, an eminent rocket scientist, has been appointed as the chairperson of the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro), a personnel ministry order issued on Wednesday said. K Sivan, the outgoing chairperson, will be completing his extended term on Friday. Sivan was appointed as the Isro chief in January 2018 and was given a one-year extension till January 14, 2022.

Somanath’s appointment as the Space secretary and the Space Commission Chairman is for a combined tenure of three years from the date of joining of the post, inclusive of an extension in tenure beyond the age of superannuation in public interest, the government order said.

Expressing happiness over his appointment, S Somnath said, “Areas of focus will be technology, policy, implementation and areas where stakeholders need to be taken care of. We need to bring in newer approaches; have to work with various capacity builders like tech companies.”

Here is all you need to know about S Somnath

> S Somnath is a rocket scientist who at present is the director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre.

> Somanath, who will be the 10th chairman of the premier space organisation, took charge as the VSSC’s head on January 22, 2018, after a two and a half years stint as the Director of Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), Valiamala, Thiruvananathapuram.

> Previously, he served as the Associate Director (Projects) of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre and also as the Project Director of GSLV Mk-III launch vehicle.

> Under S Somnath's leadership, the first experimental flight of LVM3-X/CARE mission was successfully accomplished on December 18, 2014.

> The new Isro chief did his B Tech in Mechanical Engineering from TKM college of engineering, Kollam, and Masters in Aerospace Engineering from Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, with specialisation in structures, dynamics and control. He was a gold medalist.

> Somanath joined VSSC in 1985 and was a team leader for the integration of PSLV during the early phases.

> S Somnath is an expert in the area of system engineering of launch vehicles.

(With agency inputs)