M Sankaran (ISRO)

Some Lesser Known Facts About M Sankaran

• M Sankaran is an Indian space scientist who made headlines following the Chandrayaan 3 mission in 2023. He has been a part of various ISRO space projects for more than 35 years.

• He joined the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in 1986 where his initial assignment was at the ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC). ^[3]IEEE He later contributed to various important projects, including solar arrays, power systems, satellite positioning systems, and RF communication systems which covered a wide range of satellites, from Low Earth Orbit (LEO) to Geostationary Satellites, Navigation Satellites, and other space missions like the Chandrayaan and Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM).

  

• His expertise also extends to critical aspects such as the development of the 70V bus for ISRO satellites, power generation, and distribution systems for interplanetary missions like Chandrayaan-1, 2, and 3, the Mars Orbiter Mission, and the Astrosat project. In 2015, he was appointed as Group Director for the Power System Group.

• On 1 June 2021, M Sankaran became the Director of the U R Rao Satellite Centre (URSC), which is the hub for the design, development, and realization of all ISRO satellites.

  

• In 2023, he was a key member of the Chandrayaan 3 mission team, including S. Somanath (ISRO Chief), P. Veeramuthuvel (Project Director), Srikant (Mission Director), S Unnikrishnan Nair (Director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre), A Rajarajan (Laboratory Chief), and Kalpana K (Deputy Project Director).

  

• After the successful landing of Chandrayaan 3 on the Moon’s South Pole on 23 August 2023, his speech became famous. In his speech, he expressed gratitude towards individuals who were critical of India’s moon mission and the scientists involved. He highlighted that even unintentional comments can play a role in shaping the mission’s trajectory.

• M Sankaran has published various scientific papers on the fabrication and testing of solar panels and battery systems. ^[4]IEEE