Bengaluru:

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.

Looking back on his career, India’s top space man recalled harsh words ahead of an earlier launch.

“Many years ago… in launch of PSLV Mark-III expedition there was every possibility of a failure but somebody had to take the decision (of launching) and I took it. I think I was threatened… that it would be a “colossal failure”,” he said.

‘But there was nobody else and I did it… and it was successful. Many things happen in life like that.”

READ | India Must Have Permanent Habitat On Moon And Mars: ISRO Chief To NDTV

The ISRO boss, with a smile on his face, said that though he had been criticised and his ability questioned, he had taught himself to rise above the “silly words… silly acts” of some people.

“‘…you are not a suitable person (for this role)’… I hear all this criticism but you have to raise yourself above these silly things. Once you reach that point (of self-confidence) you can look at people like this and smile. Their silly acts can be ignored.”

READ |“Work Of A Generation”: ISRO Chief On Chandrayaan-3’s Moon Landing

“How to do that? You go through a process… learn how to develop your self-confidence. And once you do that then you are not worried about these silly people and their words,” he told NDTV.

The man who made India’s wildest space dreams a reality is soft-spoken and erudite, and describes himself as an “explorer”. “I explore the Moon… the inner space. It is part of the journey of my life to explore science and spirituality,” he said at a temple after Chandrayaan-3 landed on the Moon.

That “journey” involves an understanding of one’s weaknesses and limitations.

READ | “I Explore Both Science And Spirituality”: ISRO Chief On Temple Visit

Mr Somanath said. “I had several limitations… both in terms of technical capabilities and my own personal capacity. You work on this over a period of time in your own way. For me, my mental and physical growth and subject knowledge growth was thanks to various people who came in my life at different times and gave me insight.”

On India Habitat On Moon, Mars

On India’s future space plans – which include the Aditya L1 solar and manned Gaganyaan mission – Mr Somanath said if humanity plans to travel beyond Earth, habitat creation is needed on the Moon and Mars, as well as exoplanets, and that Indians had to be there.

“We think of ourselves as so inferior today… that we are not technologically advanced, not financially powerful. And we always think we are poor, so we can’t invest in all of this. I believe that this has to go, for a nation which thinks that they are the one who are creators of knowledge,” he said.

Space agency chief S Somanath on Sunday said he wants to explore both science and spirituality amid a section of internet users raking up the ‘science vs religion’ debate over scientists visiting temples.

He also said there is nothing wrong in Prime Minister Narendra Modi naming the Chandrayaan-3 touchdown spot as Shiv Shakti point.

#WATCH | On his visit to Pournamikavu, Bhadrakali Temple in Thiruvananthapuram, ISRO Chairman S Somanath says, “I am an explorer. I explore the Moon. I explore the inner space. So it’s a part of the journey of my life to explore both science and spirituality. So I visit many… pic.twitter.com/QkZZAdDyX3

— ANI (@ANI) August 27, 2023

Mr Somanath is the hero of the Chandrayaan-3 mission as the chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), with India now part of an elite space club that has landed on the Moon.

He offered prayers at a temple in Kerala on Saturday following the big success.

“I am an explorer. I explore the Moon. I explore the inner space. It’s a part of the journey of my life to explore both science and spirituality. I visit many temples and I read many scriptures. I try to find the meaning of our existence and our journey in this cosmos,” he said.

A team of ISRO scientists had visited the Tirupati temple in Andhra Pradesh ahead of the Chandrayaan-3 mission in July, which triggered a debate over mixing science and spirituality.

Mr Somanath said it’s a part of Indian culture to explore both inner as well as outer selves. “For the outer, I do science, for the inner I come to temples,” added the top scientist.

He also endorsed the ‘Shiv Shakti Point’ name given to Chandrayaan-3 touchdown spot by PM Modi.

“The Prime Minister narrated the meaning of it in a manner that suits all of us. I think there is nothing wrong with that. He gave the next name to Tiranga and both are Indian-sounding names. He has a prerogative of naming it being the Prime Minister of the country,” said Mr Somanath.

He also shared an update on the Chandrayaan-3 mission and said the rover is working fine.

“All five instruments on board the rover have been switched on. We hope to complete all experiments by September 3. There are different modes for which it has to be tested so we have the best picture ever of the Moon,” said Mr Somanath.