THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala can also be proud as it played a key role in the success of the country's first solar mission. Many important parts of the probe and rocket used in the mission were manufactured in Kerala. Moreover, ISRO Chairman S Somanath and VSSC Director Dr S Unnikrishnan Nair who worked in the team are Malayalees.

The PSLV rocket that launched Aditya into Earth orbit was built at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Center in Thumba, Thiruvananthapuram. It is also where the payload 'PAPA', which studies the solar wind, was built. Malayalees are also the vehicle directors.

The critical components of the liquid engines are developed at the Liquid Propulsion System Center at Valiyamala in Thiruvananthapuram. The small rocket engines used to propel Aditya to its destination 15 lakh kilometers away were also made here.

One of the seven devices to control the sun was built by Malappuram natives Dr Sreejith West and AN Ramprakash. Both are scientists at the Inter University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Pune. Their team developed the Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT) at Aditya. SUIT continuously observes the photosphere, chromosphere, and outermost layers of the Sun (corona).

Also, Keltron manufactured the 38 electronics modules required for the PSLV's XLC 57 rocket that launched the Aditya probe into space. Thirty packages were manufactured at the Keltron Communication Complex at Manvila, Thiruvananthapuram and eight at the Equipment Complex at Karakulam. Keltron built all 41 modules of the Chandrayaan 3 mission that was launched in July.

Somnath on the road to victory

The success of Chandrayaan 3, the achievement of generating electricity in space, the test success of the RLV rocket, the launch of and the XPoSat satellite to study black holes have become a milestone in the reputation of Somnath. Somnath, a native of Alappuzha's Thuravoor, resides in Thiruvananthapuram's Vattiyoorkavu. He completed his studies from TKM Engineering College in Kollam.