After concluding his tenure at ISRO,Somanath assumed the role of chancellor at Chanakya University,a liberal arts institution based in Bengaluru.[11]
Early life and education
Somanath was born in a MalayaliNair family[12] as a child of V. Sreedhara Panicker,a Hindi teacher,and Thankamma at Thuravoor in Alappuzha district of Kerala.[13]
Somanath is married to Valsala,with whom he has a daughter and a son.[15]
Career
After his graduation,Somanath joined the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in 1985. He was associated with the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle project during its initial phase. He became associate director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre and the project director of the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III launch vehicle in 2010. He was also the deputy director of the Propulsion and Space Ordnance Entity till November 2014.[9]
Somanath earned his PhD from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at IIT Madras and was awarded his doctorate during the institute's 61st convocation on 19 July 2024.[18][19]
Somanath completed his 3-year tenure as ISRO's Chairman on 14 January 2025 and this period is hailed as one of the best in the history of ISRO. Successful Chandrayaan-3 mission,Aditya-L1 launch and impact developments on the Gaganyaan front all put Somanath as a leader who delivered,inspiring his team and the nation. The headlines were univocal in declaring that he left a legacy with unparalleled achievements.[20]
Somanath is currently serving as the chancellor of Chanakya University.[22]
Controversies
In November 2023,S. Somanath’s Malayalam memoir Nilavu Kudicha Simhangal (“The lions that guzzled the moonlight”) drew media attention after excerpts from the book reportedly contained remarks about his predecessor,former ISRO Chairman K. Sivan,and events surrounding the Chandrayaan-2 mission[23][24][25]. Following the controversy,Somanath announced that he was withdrawing the book from publication,clarifying that it was not intended to criticise any individual or organisation[26].[27][28][29][30][31]
Earlier in August 2023,Somanath’s public comments distinguishing science and belief,made during discussions about naming the Chandrayaan-3 landing site “Shiv Shakti Point,”also received mixed reactions on social media and in sections of the press.[32][33][34]In September 2024,the Breakthrough Science society (BSS),a voluntary organisation promoting scientific temper and rational thinking,raised objections to ISRO Chairman Somanath'sremarks praising the role of Sanskrit in India’s emergence as a knowledge society since Vedic times. The organisation stated that such claims promote a “mythological view of history”and blur the distinction between scientific reasoning and cultural belief. The statement by BSS called for separating scientific achievements from religious or linguistic traditions to preserve the objectivity of science.[35][36]
In July 2024,The New Indian Express reported that a group of senior ISRO scientists had raised complaints about alleged unfairness in promotions and extensions of service within the organisation. The report cited claims of “discrimination”and “caste and regional considerations”influencing key administrative decisions,including the granting of two-year extensions to a few directors while others received only one-year terms. Some scientists alleged that certain appointments and promotions favoured individuals said to be close to senior officials. The news paper also reported that one person,a “close friend”of a top official,was promoted unfairly.[37]
In 2014,S Somnath received performance excellence award for GSLV Mk-III realization from ISRO.[39][40][41] In 2023,the Government of Karnataka felicitated him with the prestigious Rajyotsava award.[42][43] He also received the K.P.P Nambiar Award in February 2024.
In October 2024,the Government of Kerala announced the 2024 Kerala Prabha civilian award —the second-highest category of the state’s “Kerala Awards”—to S. Somanath for Science &Engineering.[44][45][46]
In recognition of his contributions to India’s space programme,S. Somanath was honoured with the Kerala Sasthrapuraskaram (2023) by the Kerala State Council for Science,Technology and Environment.[47][48]
In October 2024,he won the International Astronautical Federation (IAF) World Space Award at Milan,Italy,for the huge success of Chandrayaan-3 in 2023.[49][50]
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