From Campus to Cosmos - Celebrating IITM Alumni Who Have Contributed to the Historic Chandrayaan-3
The successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 is one of the most defining moments in world history. In order to honour IIT Madras’ alumni who have contributed to this extraordinary mission, the institute organized an exclusive felicitation ceremony, ‘Over the Moon with Team Chandrayaan-3’ on 8th October 2023.
The atmosphere was electric with the resounding applause from the packed SAC, as the twelve alumni from IIT Madras who played a key role in scripting the success story of Chandrayaan-3, walked up to the stage and took their places.
In line with the Institute’s larger philosophy of “IITM for All” and to spark scientific curiosity in the minds of the children and youth, schools and colleges were invited to participate. It was heartening to witness hundreds of students from Government schools and city colleges across Tamil Nadu, together with IITM students, faculty and alumni filling SAC (the Students Activity Centre) and eagerly awaiting the opportunity to listen to and interact with these real-life heroes who have made India proud through this extraordinary feat. Prof Mahesh Panchagnula, Dean, Alumni and Corporate Relations, IITM heartily welcomed all, “IIT Madras is proud to have hundreds of its alumni within ISRO, almost 55,000 alumni globally who are present in over 80 countries excelling in their own fields. But this group has made us all proud, by doing something that no other country in the world has done. Everyone tried, but we succeeded, not just in the mission, but at a cost that is unbelievable for the rest of the world.”
Prof. Mahesh Panchagnula, Dean (Alumni and Corporate Relations), IIT Madras delivered the welcome addressProf. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, addressing the students present, began with inviting the audience to a standing ovation. What followed can only be described as a surreal moment, with the entire audience giving an uninterrupted standing ovation and enthusiastic applause. The Director expressed his deepest appreciation to the team and encouraged all the students present, “The days are gone when only Computer Science was deemed important. Please understand that every field of engineering has something great to contribute. This is a very clear message to all our B Techs and our aspiring school students who want to do engineering. Chandrayaan-3 stands as an outstanding example of our times. Take pride and love the subject that you are in. You can see here Mechanical Engineers, Aerospace, Chemical Engineers, and Civil Engineers, all of them put together in one project that has created success.”
Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, addresses the audience and the alumni
Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, addresses the audience and the alumniAs the event unfolded, the esteemed scientists and engineers from ISRO engaged with students from IIT Madras, government schools, and city colleges. The chief guest, Dr. S. Unnikrishnan Nair, Director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), ISRO, and IIST, highlighted ISRO's resilience in the face of challenges. He stated, “We faced challenges, including the GSLV F10 failure due to a minor pressure drop. However, we embraced these setbacks as opportunities for learning, analyzed data, and found solutions. The GSLV FAL launch was a testament to our perseverance. Similarly, our journey with small satellite launch vehicles had its hiccups, but we overcame them, launching small satellites that will serve various industries worldwide.”
Dr. S. Unnikrishnan Nair, Director, VSSC, ISRO and Director of IIST, delivering the Chief Guest Address
In another compelling segment of the occasion, Dr. P. Veeramuthuvel, the Project Director, Chandrayaan-3, made a presentation on the Chandrayaan-3 mission and candidly addressed the past challenges by acknowledging the difficulties faced during Chandrayaan-2. Their unwavering commitment to the Chandrayaan-3 mission was evident, failure was not an option, and the road to success was anything but easy. Driven by an unrelenting determination, the team sacrificed sleep and put in tireless efforts to achieve their goal. Dr. P. Veeramuthuvel expressed, “It is by virtue of excellent teamwork and sheer perseverance that we have achieved this safe and soft landing technology on the lunar surface. It is not only an achievement for the scientific community but it has become the country’s achievement.”
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Dr. P. Veeramuthuvel, Project Director, Chandrayaan-3, the Keynote Speaker, chronicled the journey of the mission
Dr. P. Veeramuthuvel, Project Director, Chandrayaan-3, the Keynote Speaker, chronicled the journey of the missionThe IITM Alumni who had contributed to the Chandrayaan 3 Mission and were part of the programme also included Dr. P. Arun Kumar (1999/M.Tech/ME); Dr. T. John Tharakan (1987/M.Tech/ME, 2001/PhD/AMBE); Shri Abdul Hameed, (2004/M.Tech/ ME); Shri Rajeev Senan C. (2005 / M.Tech / ME); Dr. Shamrao (2009/ M.Tech, 2020/PhD / ME); Shri H.M. Raghavendra Prasad (2012 / M.tech / ME); Dr. S. Mathavaraj (2012 / M.Tech / AE); Shri R. Karthik (2019 / MS, PhD / EE), Shri B.S. Phani Dinakar (2017 / M.Tech / ME), Scientist, URSC and Shri Sakthivel M. (2017 / M.Tech / ME).
Mr.Kaviraj Nair, Chief Executive Officer, Office of Institutional Advancement, IIT Madras, delivered the Vote of Thanks on this occasion.
Watch the event video here
