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S. Somanath is an aerospace engineer who was chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation from 2022 to 2025. Under him India landed Chandrayaan-3 near the Moon’s south pole in August 2023 and launched the Aditya-L1 solar observatory.
Biography
Kerala
Somanath grew up in Kerala and studied mechanical engineering at TKM College of Engineering in Kollam, then aerospace engineering at the Indian Institute of Science. He joined the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in 1985.
Rocket builder
He worked on the PSLV and played a key role in designing the GSLV Mk III, now called LVM3, India’s heaviest rocket. He became director of the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre and then of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre.
Chandrayaan-3
Somanath became ISRO chairman in January 2022. On 23 August 2023 Chandrayaan-3’s Vikram lander touched down near the Moon’s south pole — India became the fourth country to soft-land on the Moon and the first near the south pole. Weeks later ISRO launched Aditya-L1 to study the Sun.
Personal courage
Somanath later revealed that he had been diagnosed with cancer around the time of the Aditya-L1 launch and had treatment while continuing to lead ISRO. He was succeeded by V. Narayanan in January 2025.
Timeline
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1985
Joins the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre
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2018
Director of VSSC
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2022
Chairman of ISRO
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2023
Chandrayaan-3 lands; Aditya-L1 launched
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2025
Completes term
Did you know?
-
1
India became the first country to land near the Moon’s south pole under his leadership.
-
2
He helped design India’s heaviest rocket.
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3
He was treated for cancer while leading ISRO.
Connections
Frequently asked
Who is S. Somanath?
S. Somanath is an aerospace engineer who was chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation from 2022 to 2025. Under him India landed Chandrayaan-3 near the Moon’s south pole in August 2023 and launched the Aditya-L1 solar observatory.
Where is S. Somanath from?
S. Somanath was born in Thuravoor, Alappuzha district, Kerala.
What is S. Somanath known for?
S. Somanath is best known for Chairing ISRO from 2022 to 2025; Chandrayaan-3 landing; Aditya-L1; LVM3 rocket.
References
- S. Somanath — Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Retrieved 27 October 2026.
- S. Somanath — Hindi Wikipedia. Wikipedia (Hindi). Retrieved 27 October 2026.
- S. Somanath (Q47484657) — structured data. Wikidata. Retrieved 27 October 2026.
Includes material from the Wikipedia article “S. Somanath”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. That text is available under the same licence. Learn more
External links
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About this profile
- Researched by the TrackFame editorial team; reviewed by Sanjay Sokal under our editorial policy
- First published 27 October 2026
- Last updated
Cite this page
“S. Somanath.” TrackFame, last updated 28 October 2026. https://trackfame.com/person/s-somanath
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