Welcome to From Code to Culture, a podcast by UnboxingBLR.

Our 9th episode is in conversation with Dr. S. Somanath, former Chairman of ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) – the man behind the successful Chandrayan 3 mission.

In this episode, our hosts Malini Goyal and Prashanth Prakash explore the story of India's space programme, starting from why ISRO was set up in Bengaluru, and some of the key milestones that shaped its success. Dr. Somanath takes us through his journey at ISRO – his humble beginnings, early days at India’s premier space body, projects he’s most proud of, and some candid reflections on the challenges he’s faced.

We dive deep into major projects like Chandrayaan, Mars Missions, the strategic Space Vision 2047, and get insights into India’s future in aerospace technology. When will India send a man to the moon? How will space technology help and improve the country’s defence systems? What are the implications of aerospace technology on society and the economy? Will startups soon be able to make and launch rockets?

Strap in, as we take off to get answers to these questions, and more!