Young ISRO scientist from Barak Valley among key contributors in Chandrayaan-3 mission, Adds new feather to region’s cap

In a remarkable leap for space exploration, India marked an extraordinary achievement yesterday by becoming the first country to successfully land on the little-explored south pole region of the moon through its Chandrayaan-3 mission and the fourth country in the world to achieve a successful soft landing on the moon, joining the esteemed ranks of space elites United States, Soviet Union and China.

The Chandrayaan-3 mission, the third lunar exploration endeavor under the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) Chandrayaan program, featured a lander named Vikram and a rover named Pragyan, closely resembling the components of the earlier Chandrayaan-2 mission. This mission is aimed to attain two primary objectives: to showcase and test the rover’s navigational abilities on the lunar surface and to conduct a series of experiments aimed at comprehending the composition of lunar materials.

Among the brilliant minds contributing to ISRO’s monumental achievement was 28-year-old Y. Bishal Singha hailing from Ramnagar Tuko, Silchar. A member of ISRO’s thermal control team, Singha’s remarkable expertise played a significant role in ensuring the mission’s success. Bishal, an alumnus of Silchar Collegiate School passed his matriculation in the year 2013. He later studied at Gurukul Grammar Senior Secondary School in Guwahati, completing his Higher Secondary in the year 2015. His academic prowess earned him a place at IIT Guwahati, where he pursued mechanical engineering and graduated in June 2019. His journey took an inspiring turn when he joined ISRO just a month later, selected during a previous campus placement in his seventh semester by the Space Research Organisation.

Elated by her son’s contribution, Y. Ilarani Singha, Bishal’s mother, expressed her gratitude to Lord Krishna and told she was unable to express how happy she was. Speaking to reporters she said, “The entire nation is happy as we made a world record by landing on the south pole of the moon. Since the last few days, I was doing naam jap so that the mission could succeed without any obstacle. I video called and talked to my son after the landing.”

Equally proud of his son’s achievement, Y. Khambaton Singha, Bishal’s father, conveyed his immense pride in Bishal’s role as a team member of ISRO. He emphasised that Bishal’s contribution exemplified his dedication to serving the nation.

As India basks in the glory of its lunar triumph, Bishal Singha’s name stands as a testament to the indomitable spirit of young Indian scientists, whose dedication and expertise continue to propel the nation’s achievements to new heights in the realm of space exploration.