When US President Joe Biden commented that Indian-Americans are taking over, he didn't mention it lightly, as Dr Balaram becomes the second person of Indian origin to feature in a prominent Mars mission after Swati Mohan, whose voice was heard worldwide during the landing of the Perseverance Rover. Dr Balaram is an alumni of IIT Madras, whose interest in space exploration was realised when NASA's Ingenuity helicopter took its first flight over the Martian surface.
