Son of Bengali farmer key part of Chandrayaan-2

With the Chandrayaan-2 mission, being headed by women for the first time in the history of ISRO, there's a son of a Bengali farmer who is a key scientist in India's ambitious space project.

From helping his father in farming to becoming one of the leading scientists in the mission, Chandrakanta, son of a farmer in Hoodly's Shibpur Village, has come a long way. He is responsible for the Radio Frequency system of Chandrayaan-2, that is vital in communications between the space and the ground. He also heads the 'Electromagnetic' section of UR Rao Satellite Centre (URSC).

In an interview to a private news channel, his mother said, “My son called me in the morning and told me to watch Chandrayaan-2 mission on TV. I am very happy today and proud of my son. Despite all odds, he managed to overcome hurdles and became a scientist."

Chandrakanta has a specialisation in Information and Broadcasting Technology. He joined ISRO in 2001, his steady growth led him to take up an important role in the lunar mission.

The launch of Chandrayaan-2 is set to launch at 2.43 pm on Monday from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota after the launch was called off last time due to a technical snag.