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India's Historic Mission to the Moon's South Pole: Science and Engineering Innovations of Chandrayan-3
by
Wed, Oct 1, 2025
4:30 PM – 6 PM EDT (GMT-4)
Louis A. Simpson International Building - A71
Princeton, NJ 08544, United States
Registration
Details
world to successfully soft-land on the far
side of the moon- its South Pole, previously
unknown to humankind. News articles providing
context of this landmark event here (link).
Dr. Somanath, former Chairman of ISRO during
its history-making Chandrayaan missions will
reflect on the human and technical dimensions
of India's journey to the lunar south pole.
He will present the overarching story of
ISRO's resilience, determination, and
engineering excellence, with focus on
innovations relating to propulsion systems,
space communications, and findings relevant
to extra-planetary biology and chemistry.
Where
Louis A. Simpson International Building - A71
Princeton, NJ 08544, United States
Speakers
Dr. S. Somanath
Chancellor of Chanakya University, India
Former Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), (2022–2025)
Dr. S. Somanath, an eminent aerospace engineer and visionary leader, serves as the Chancellor of Chanakya University, India. With an illustrious career spanning nearly four decades at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), he brings exceptional expertise, strategic insight, and a deep commitment to scientific and national advancement.
As the 10th Chairman of ISRO (2022–2025), Dr. Somanath led India’s most iconic space missions, including Chandrayaan-3, which successfully achieved a soft landing on the Moon’s south pole—making India the first nation to do so. His leadership also oversaw key developments in Aditya-L1, XPoSat, OneWeb commercial launches, and the groundwork for India’s maiden human spaceflight mission, Gaganyaan.
A mechanical engineer from TKM College of Engineering and a gold medalist in Aerospace Engineering from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, Dr. Somanath also holds a Ph.D. from IIT Madras. Recognized by the Distinguished Alumni awards of IIT Madras and IISc Bangalore, he is widely respected for his pioneering contributions to India’s launch vehicle programs, including PSLV, GSLV Mk-III (LVM3), and Reusable Launch Vehicles (RLV).
Dr. Somanath has been honored with numerous awards, including the ISRO Performance Excellence Award, the Space Gold Medal and National Aeronautics Prize from the Astronautical Society of India. He is a Fellow of several prestigious academies, including INAE and INSA. He is also a member of the International Academy of Astronautics and an international fellow of US National Academy of Engineering.
As Chancellor, Dr. Somanath’s vision for Chanakya University is rooted in scientific excellence, indigenous innovation, and global relevance—nurturing future-ready leaders grounded in values, knowledge, and purpose.