India's Chandrayaan 2 mission in 2019 aimed to explore the moon's south pole, a region full of craters and rugged terrain. While the lander didn't make a soft landing, the orbiter captured detailed images of the lunar surface, revealing impact craters. One such crater was named after Bengali scientist Sisir Kumar Mitra, known as Mitra crater.

Mitra, born in 1890 in Konnagar, Hooghly, was a pioneer in ionospheric science and radio technology in India. His work on ionosphere laid the foundation for long-distance communication. Mitra's contributions were so significant that a crater on the moon was named after him.

At a young age, Mitra was inspired by Indian aeronaut Ram Chandra Chatterjee, which sparked his interest in scientific studies and spaceflight. Despite facing personal hardships, he pursued his education with the support of his mother, who worked hard to fund his studies. Mitra excelled in physics and conducted research under the guidance of renowned scientists like Jagadish Chandra Bose.

After completing his PhD in Calcutta, Mitra traveled to Paris to study optics and spectroscopy under Marie Curie. However, his fascination with Radiophysics led him to dedicate his life to radio science. Upon returning to India, he convinced authorities to establish wireless science as a field of study, leading to groundbreaking research in wireless communication.

In 1926, Mitra successfully transmitted radio programs from his laboratory in Calcutta, marking a significant milestone in Indian broadcasting history. His book, 'Upper Atmosphere,' published in 1948, remains a key reference in ionospheric research. Mitra's contributions to Ionospheric Science and Radio Technology earned him prestigious accolades, including being elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society and receiving the Padma Bhushan in 1962.