Meet Mylswamy Annadurai, ‘Moon Man of India’ who played a key role in Chandrayaan lunar missions

Popularly known as the ‘Moon Man of India’, Mylswamy Annadurai is an Indian scientist who has worked at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for nearly 36 years. As we celebrate his 64^th birthday today, let us know more about the man who was a part of the Chandrayaan mission.

Annadurai was the project director for Chandrayaan-1 during the period 2004-2008. This was India’s first mission to the Moon which boosted the country’s space programme.

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Thereafter, he worked as the Programme Director of Chandrayaan-2 and Mangalyaan, which was ‘Mars Orbiter Mission’.

Early Life of Mylswamy Annadurai

The Indian scientist was born on July 2, 1958 in the Kodhawady village near Pollachi in Tamil Nadu’s Coimbatore district.

After completing his early education in Kodhawady, Annadurai completed his graduation in engineering from the Government College of Engineering in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. Following this, he pursued a master’s degree from the PSG college of Technology in Coimbatore.

Journey at ISRO

Annadurai joined the ISRO in 1982 and worked as the spacecraft operations manager for the Indian Remote Sensing (IRS)-1A, IRS-1B, and satellite programs of the Indian National Satellite System (INSAT)-2A, and 2B.

After serving as the deputy project director for various programs, Annadurai was promoted as the mission director of the INSAT-2C, INSAT-2D, 2E, 3B, 3E, and GSAT (Geosynchronous Satellite)-1 space programs.

Why is Annadurai called as ‘Moon Man of India’?

The Indian scientist played a crucial role in the success of India’s lunar probes, Chandrayaan-1 and Chandrayaan-2.

He served as the director of Chandrayaan-1, which was launched from Sriharikota Island on October 22, 2008. The lunar probe entered the lunar orbit on November 8. The Moon Impact Probe was then released on November 14 and it hit close to the lunar South Pole.

Annadurai also served as the project director of India’s second lunar mission – Chandrayaan-2. Hence, he is popularly known as the ‘Moon Man of India’.

The Indian scientists has been a part of various satellite projects of ISRO but the most popular one was Mangalyaan mission that was launched in November 2013. The Mars Orbiter Mission entered the neighbouring planet’s orbit in September 2014.

After retiring from ISRO in 2019, Annadurai has been working as the Vice President for Tamil Nadu State Council for Science and Technology. He was also nominated as the Chairman, Board of Governors, National Design and Research Forum.

The Indian scientist has formerly worked at the Tamil newspaper Kungumam. Throughout his career, the man has encouraged young Indians to take up scientific careers.