My Odyssey: Memoirs of the Man behind the Mangalyaan Mission

In 2014, Dr. K. Radhakrishnan was named one of the top ten scientists in the world by Nature magazine—the first Indian scientist to be so honoured. Earlier that year, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) successfully ran the Mars Orbiter Mission, popularly known as the ‘Mangalyaan’ mission. ISRO’s Moon Rover, scheduled for 2018, is also Radhakrishnan’s brainchild. Witness to the transformation of India’s space programme in the early 1980s, Radhakrishnan cut his teeth with the SLV-3 project, the country’s first satellite launch vehicle. He worked with stalwarts like Dr Vikram Sarabhai, Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Prof. Satish Dhawan and Mr Y.S. Rajan, wearing several different hats during his illustrious and challenging career. Radhakrishnan eventually turned major setbacks into roaring successes by his unfailingly belief in human endeavour and a commitment to excellence. Packed with invaluable information and insights, this fascinating memoir takes us behind the scenes of India’s cutting-edge world of scientific achievement.