TSE meets Chandrayaan-3 hero Raghu Ningthoujam
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, August 25 2023: As the whole Nation celebrates the remarkable feat of Chandrayaan-3 mission, Deputy Director of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Dr Raghu Ningthoujam Meitei has conveyed that the space agency of India has a bigger vision to send Astronauts and Scientists to the lunar surface one day and deepen the understanding of the celestial body.

Son of Ningthoujam Chaoba and Yaimabi of Thanga Oinam in Bishnupur district, Dr Raghu is the youngest among three siblings and he played an important role in the launch procedure of lander Vikram at 2.35 pm of July 14, 2023 .

TSE meets Chandrayaan-3 hero Raghu Ningthoujam

The success of Chandrayan-3 has made every India proud and by being a part of the historic mission, Dr Raghu has also inspired countless of youngsters back home in Manipur.

The sky is the limit for Dr Raghu indeed as he, despite being born to poor parents who had to catch fishes from Loktak Lake to make ends meet for their family, is now a Deputy Director at the revered organisation.

Wife of Dr Raghu, Rasami Leima is also a Scientist at ISRO and she too took part in the launch procedure.

The couple (Dr Raghu and Rasami Leima) have two children-a girl who is in IX standard and a boy of four years.

In an exclusive conversation with The Sangai Express, Dr Raghu said that Chandrayan-3 was launched aboard an LVM3-M4 rocket on July 14, 2023 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.

Saying that lander Vikram landed near the south pole of the lunar surface on August 23, 2023 at 6.04 pm, Dr Raghu continued that the moment that Vikram landed on the moon surface felt magical and he was extremely happy.

He further said that about 5000 Scientists from different centres of ISRO worked together in the preparation of the Chadrayaan-3 moon exploration mission.

Continuing that Chandrayaan-3 is built on a budget of Rs 615 crore, Dr Raghu said that Vikram will be stationed permanently at the place where it landed while the exploration work is being done by Pragyan, a lunar rover.

Dr Raghu went on to state that lander Vikram was named after Vikram Ambalal Sarabhai, an Indian physicist and astronomer who founded ISRO on August 15, 1969.Reiterating that ISRO will surely send Astronauts and Scientists to the lunar surface one day with the advancement of science and technology, Dr Raghu clarified that there, however, is no plan to send a crew mission to the moon as of now.

Further stating that Astronauts and Scientists have to be physically and mentally fit and also have the ability to make quick decisions and cope with stress to be able to go on a space mission, Dr Raghu continued that Astronauts are mostly selected from among pilots of the Air Force and those who have experiences in aviation.

Dr Raghu studied upto Class VIII at Thanga Government School and from there he shifted to CC Higher Secondary in Imphal and finished his XII there.

He is an alumni of DM College of Science and IIT Guwahati.

Dr Raghu who joined ISRO in 2006 also took part in Chandrayaan-2 mission which failed due to a software glitch.

Another Meitei scientist couple James Leichombam and Praneshwori Leima from Churachandpur and a Liangmai Naga Scientist-C at the National Remote Sensing Centre of ISRO Neol Mathiulungbou Chawang also took major part in launching Chandrayaan-3 mission.

It is said that family members of L James, however, are taking refuge in relief camps after the Kuki militants burnt down his house.