ISRO chief diagnosed with cancer on Aditya-L1 launch day

New Delhi: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief S Somanath was diagnosed with cancer on the day of solar mission Aditya-L1 launch, he recently revealed in an interview.

India's first solar observatory, Aditya-L1, was launched atop PSLV-C57 on September 2 for its journey to the Sun-Earth Lagrangian point 1. After four months of journey in space, it was placed in the intended orbit around the L1 point on January 6.

In a Malayalam interview with Tarmak Media House, the ISRO chief recalled, “There were some health issues during Chandrayaan 3. However, I did not have a clear understanding about it.”

Two months later, Somanath revealed, he discovered the issue on the day of the Aditya-L1 launch. “On the day Aditya-L1 was launched, I conducted a scan in the morning of that day. That was when I realised that I had a growth in my stomach. I gained a clue about it as soon as the launch occurred,” ISRO chief said.

Afterwards, in Chennai, he underwent a scan to confirm the problem. Subsequent tests within 2-3 days confirmed a hereditary disease and then he underwent an operation, he said. Somanath said he had shared the news and close relatives and "I was able to alleviate my fears". The revelation came as a shock to family members, he added. “But now, I perceive cancer and its treatment as a solution. There is a message that

it is not incurable,” Somanath said that he is cured of the disease.