V. Narayanan, a distinguished rocket and spacecraft propulsion scientist, has been appointed as the next Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), succeeding S. Somanath.
Key Highlights
- The Union Cabinet’s Appointments Committee has announced that Dr. Narayanan will assume the roles of Secretary, Department of Space, and Chairman, Space Commission, for a tenure of two years starting January 14, 2025.
- Hailing from a humble farming family in Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu, Dr. Narayanan has amassed extensive experience in rocket propulsion since joining ISRO on February 1, 1984.
- An alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology-Kharagpur, he earned his M.Tech. in cryogenic engineering with top honors in 1989 and later completed a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering in 2001.
- Dr. Narayanan began his career at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), focusing on solid propulsion systems, before moving to the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) in 1989 to specialize in cryogenic propulsion.
- Over his four-decade-long career, he has made significant contributions to several major ISRO missions, including the Chandrayaan (1, 2, and 3), Mangalyaan (Mars Orbiter Mission), Aditya-L1 (solar mission), and the upcoming Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme.
