"Could Have Been Thrown Out": ISRO Chief S Somanath To NDTV, Recalls Career Challenges

Among the points the ISRO Chairperson discussed were challenges he has faced over the course of his career, including (the now scarcely believable) comment that "my position (in ISRO) was threatened... I could have been thrown out".

The triumph of Chandrayaan-3 - India's Moon mission - was the result of tens of thousands of hours of research and analysis by hundreds of scientists, engineers and technicians, who guided the nation to space history last month after the Vikram lander soft-landed near the lunar South Pole. Spearheading the Indian Space Research Organisation's efforts was agency boss S Somanath, who spoke exclusively to NDTV on Saturday, on his personal and professional journey and the importance of India creating and establishing a "permanent habitat" on the Moon, Mars and exoplanets.

Among the points the ISRO Chairperson discussed were the many challenges he has faced over the course of his career, including (the now scarcely believable) comment "my position (in ISRO) was threatened... I could have been thrown out".

"... don't think everything was nice for me in my life... I also faced challenges in personal life and official life. You (referring to himself) can be thrown out of an organisation... your position can be threatened (and) you are sometimes not even treated with great respect," Mr Somanath told NDTV.