Brains behind Chandrayaan-3

S Somanath: Became chief of ISRO in January 2022 and became a pivotal figure in India’s ambitious moon mission. Prior to this role, he had served as the director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) and the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre. Both of these are primary centres responsible for developing rocket technologies for ISRO.

P Veeramuthuvel: Took charge as the Project Director of Chandrayaan-3 in 2019. Aged about 46 years, he hails from a small family in Tamil Nadu’s Villupuram district. A Ph.D holder Veeramuthuvel is an alumnus of the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology, Madras.

S Unnikrishnan Nair: He is the Director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) which is located in Thumba, Kerala. VSSC was responsible for developing the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) Mark-III, now known as Launch Vehicle Mark-III. As the head of VSSC, S Unnikrishnan Nair and his team oversee various critical aspects of this vital mission.

M Sankaran: In 2021, M Sankaran assumed the role of Director at the U R Rao Satellite Centre (URSC). He leads the team responsible for crafting satellites that meet India’s diverse needs, including communication, navigation, remote sensing, weather forecasting, and planetary exploration. URSC is tasked with designing and constructing all of India’s satellites for ISRO.