Sreedhara Panicker Somanath: All You Need To Know

In this piece of blog, we are going to talk about the Sreedhara Panicker Somanath, one of the famous personalities and popular space scientists and engineers. We will discuss everything in detail with him and will try to elaborate as much as we can. Therefore, reading this article is a must to get to know about him. Let’s roll in, and continue reading.

Who is Sreedhara Panicker Somanath?

He was born in July 1963 in a Malayali family as a child of V. Sreedhara Panicker (Hindi Teacher). Evidently, he is a well-known Indian aerospace engineer and rocket technologist known for his major contribution to the Indian space program. Indeed, he gave more than 35 years to the ISRO. Further, he has earned a well-deserved reputation in the field of space exploration. Furthermore, he is serving as the chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation. Under his chairmanship, ISRO has passed out the third Indian lunar exploration mission that is Chandrayaan-3. In addition, the name of the lander was Vikram and the rover name Pragyan landed near the South Pole region, on 23 August 2023 at 18:04 IST. Indeed, that makes India the first country to effectively land a spacecraft near the south pole. After that, the fourth country to exhibit a soft landing on the moon.

 He also served as the director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre and Liquid Propulsion System Centre in Thiruvananthapuram respectively. Not only this, he is also known for his contribution to launch vehicle design, specifically in the field of launch vehicle systems, engineering, structural dynamics, structural design and pyrotechnics.

Early life and Alma mater (Education)

He did his schooling at St. Augustine High School in Aroor, Kochi City. After that, he completed his pre-university program at Maharaja College, Ernakulam. Evidently, he got his graduation degree from Thangal Kunju Musaliar College of Engineering, Kollam, Kerala University. Along with that master’s degree in aerospace engineering from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. With specialisation in dynamics and control. Plus, he has a Ph.D. thesis at the IIT, Madras.

The career of Sreedhara Panicker Somanath

After his graduation, in 1985, he joined the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre. In his initial days, he was allied with the Polar Satellite launch vehicle project. Later, in 2010, he became the associate director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre along with the project director of the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III launch vehicle. In 2014 till November, he was also the deputy director of the Propulsion and Space Ordnance Entity. Far ahead, in 2015, he was acquired as the director of the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre at Valiamala. However, he served there until January 2018.

In January, he became the chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation. For his contribution to the field of science, he was awarded a Doctorate of Science on 25 September by SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Tamil Nadu. Indeed, at the time of the 18th Annual Convocation. On August 23, 2023, as chairman, he supervised the soft landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the South Pole. Along with other notable senior ISRO Scientists.

Awards and Honours

He was awarded prominent awards because of his dedication and contribution to the field of space and technology. Certainly, his contribution is outstanding and unforgettable.

Space Gold Medal from the Astronautical Society of India

In 2014, he received a performance excellence award- GSLV Mk-III realization, ISRO.

Fellow of Indian National Academy of Engineering (INAE)

Corresponding Member of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA).

In 2023, he was felicitated with the prestigious Rajyotsava Award from the government of Karnataka.

Income of Sreedhara Panicker Somanath

According to our research and latest sources, the monthly income of Somanath is somewhere around INR 2.25 lakhs. Plus, the annual salary package of Somanath is nearly INR 27 lakhs. along with that, the salary structure includes several perks and benefits.

Legacy and Impact

His contribution to ISRO’s several projects along with in the field of launch vehicle technology and lunar exploration have been influential in progressing the space proficiencies of India. With his great direction and knowledge, plays a noteworthy role in determining the country’s space endeavours and international partnerships.

Family of Sreedhara Panicker Somanath

He was born and brought up in Kerala, India. At the time of writing, he is 60 years old. Moreover, his complete name is Sreedhara Panicker Somanath. Further, his father was an educator. Furthermore, he is married to Valsala. Plus, they both have two children; Daughter and Son.

Final say!

In brief, we have chatted about a prominent personality in the field of science named Sreedhara Panicker Somanath. Indeed, he has a great contribution to achieving a soft landing on the moon. A significant milestone in India’s space exploration journey. He has played a vital role in implementing numerous missions of ISRO. That’s all to this article and brings us to the end of this article. if you have reached this far by reading this article to this point and discovering information. Let us know with your comments. Toddles!

Trivia

• He was born in a Malayali family; his father was a teacher.
• After graduation, he joined the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in 1985.
• He was awarded a Doctorate of Science on 25 September by SRM Institute of Science and Technology.
• Indeed, he gave more than 35 years to the ISRO.