Chennai: The Union Government has appointed distinguished space scientist and LPSC Vaiamala Director V Narayanan as the next Chairman of the Indian Space Reasearch Organisation (ISRO) and Secretary of the Department of Space.
It was announced by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet on Tuesday evening, according to reports received here.
Mr Narayanan will replace incumbent Chief S Somanath from January 14.
The tenure of Mr Narayanan's appointment will be for a period of two years, or until further orders, whichever comes earlier, a notification issued by the Union Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions said.
Normally the Director of VSSC would be made the ISRO Chairman and perhaps for the first time the LPSC Director was elevated to the post.
Who is V Narayanan?
V Narayanan is a renowned rocket and spacecraft propulsion expert with nearly four decades of experience in India's space program. He's currently the Director of the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) in Valiamala, Kerala.
Narayanan has played a crucial role in developing India's cryogenic engine technology and has contributed significantly to various ISRO missions, including the GSLV Mk-III and the Aditya Spacecraft. He's also a recipient of several awards, including the Silver Medal from IIT Kharagpur and the Gold Medal from the Astronautical Society of India.
