The government has appointed V. Narayanan as the next Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Secretary of the Department of Space. He will assume office on January 14, succeeding the current ISRO chief, S. Somnath.
Narayanan, a distinguished scientist, currently serves as the Director of the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) in Valiamala, Kerala. With nearly 40 years of experience in the Indian space programme, he has expertise in rocket and spacecraft propulsion.
The Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre, under Narayanan’s leadership, focuses on developing propulsion stages for launch vehicles and chemical and electric propulsion systems for satellites. He also chairs the Project Management Council-Space Transportation System and the National Level Human Rated Certification Board for Gaganyaan, India’s human spaceflight mission.
Earlier in his career, Narayanan worked on solid propulsion systems for projects like the ASLV and PSLV at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC). He contributed to key advancements in nozzle systems, motor cases, and igniter cases.
Academic Achievements And Career Milestones
Narayanan studied in Tamil-medium schools and later earned his M.Tech in Cryogenic Engineering and a PhD in Aerospace Engineering from IIT Kharagpur. He joined ISRO in 1984 and became Director of LPSC in 2018.
Outgoing ISRO chief S. Somnath led historic missions, including the Chandrayaan-3 success, which made India the first country to land a rover near the Moon’s South Pole. Narayanan is expected to continue ISRO’s momentum in space exploration and innovation.
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