ISRO Chief Gets His PhD From IIT-Madras: "A Village Boy's Dream Fulfilled"
NDTV
ISRO chief Dr S Somanath received his graduate degree in mechanical engineering from Thangal Kunju Musaliar College of Engineering, in Kollam, and his Master's from IISc Bengaluru
His beaming face enthralled India, when the Vikram Lander part of the historic Chandrayaan-3 mission touched down on to the moon surface on August 23 last year. But his smile was brighter as he received today his PhD degree at the 61st Convocation of IIT-Madras.
S Somanath, an aerospace engineer and chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation, is now 'Dr' Somanath. Somanath in Sanskrit means 'Lord of the Moon' and the ISRO chief, who led India's big mission to the moon, is now over the moon after his doctorate.
Dr Somanath already had nearly a dozen honorary PhDs, thanks to his work as lead developer for India's heavy launcher, the Launch Mark Vehicle Mark-3, and his role in successfully spearheading the feather-like touchdown of the Vikram lander nearer the South Pole of the moon. But earning a PhD through research is a different ball game and a bigger cause for celebration.
