India marked a watershed moment recently by becoming the first country to successfully land on the south pole of the Moon. The historic feat achieved by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), would not have been possible without some of the country’s top minds who worked on the project.
Among the many brilliant minds behind the ambitious mission is young scientist Jayant Kumar Haldar from the tribal-dominated Malkangiri district. Hailing from an inaccessible, remote village of Malkangiri, Jayant is making Odisha proud with his contribution to India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission.
He played a crucial part and was part of the ambitious project as a senior scientist at the Mechanism Department in Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) in Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram.
After completing his B.Tech in Aerospace Engineering in 2012, Jayant got the opportunity to work as a junior scientist at Sriharikota-based Satish Dhawan Space Centre till 2018. Later, his hard work paid off and he joined the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre and is currently working as a senior mechanism scientist.
His family, friends, and well-wishers are proud of him as he has given Odisha another reason to cheer for India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission.
Expressing pride and happiness, Jayant’s mother said, “I’m proud that he is my son and he was part of India’s historic moment. Everyone is singing his praises and there can be nothing more I could have asked as a mother.”
“Although hailing from a remote village, he has reached heights and has made India, Odisha, and also our village proud. Although he is fatherless, he has made everyone proud with his achievements. We are so proud of him,” said a fellow villager.