Chandrayaan-3: Meet P Veeramuthuvel, IIT Madras grad who is the brains behind the mission (File photo)
India’s space and technology industry is set to take a leap with a new and improved space mission, Chandrayaan 3. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is set to launch the Chandrayaan 3 mission, the country’s mission to the moon.
While everyone in the country is aware of the feat achieved by India by planning and successfully testing the launch of the Chandrayaan 3 mission, not many people know the brains behind the project. The entire project has been the brainchild of ISRO scientist P Veeramuthuvel.
ISRO scientist Veeramuthuvel is a native from the Villupuram area of Tamil Nadu, and has risen through the ranks to become the senior scientist in ISRO. The Chandrayaan 3 head currently holds the position of the Project Director of the moon mission.
As he established his skill and expertise in the matter, Veeramuthuvel replaced M Vanitha as the director of the Chandrayaan mission after Chandrayaan-2 lander failed to soft-land on the Moon on September 7, leading to a massive setback for the space agency.
Apart from the being in charge of the Chandrayaan 3 mission, Veeramuthuvel also played a crucial role in the Chandrayaan 2 mission, coordinating with NASA on the prospects and the science behind the project, when it was just inches close to being a success.
Chandrayaan-2, India’s second mission to the moon, was launched on July 22, 2019, from Satish Dhawan Space Center, Sriharikota. But the mission failed after the Vikram lunar lander crashed on the Moon during the early hours of September 6.
Secretary of the Department of Space and ISRO Chairman Somanath S told reporters that the space agency would attempt soft-landing of the lander on August 23 or August 24. ISRO officials noted that the mission life of the lander is one lunar day, which is equal to 14 Earth days.
(With inputs from agencies)
