Srinivas Hegde Dies: Chandrayaan-1 Mission Director Passes Away at 71

Srinivas Hegde, the mission director of India’s inaugural moon mission Chandrayaan-1, passed away on Friday in Bengaluru. Chandrayaan-1 was India’s first lunar mission, notable for discovering water molecules on the moon. He is survived by his wife and two sons.

At the age of 71, Hegde passed away in a private hospital while undergoing treatment. He is survived by his wife and two sons.

Hegde, who served at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for over three decades, played a crucial role in several landmark missions, prominently Chandrayaan-1 launched in 2008. India's first lunar mission achieved the significant discovery of water molecules on the moon.

After retiring from ISRO, he was involved with Bengaluru-based start-up Team Indus, a participant in the $30 million Google Lunar XPRIZE competition.