GUWAHATI: The Central Government has appointed V Narayanan as the new chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Secretary of the Department of Space. He will succeed the current chairman, S Somanath, on January 14.
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In a notification issued on Tuesday, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet announced that Narayanan, who currently heads the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) in Valiamala, will serve a two-year term. Along with his new roles, he will also assume the position of Chairman of the Space Commission. Notably, Narayanan has been instrumental in the development of India’s cryogenic engine technology, which was once denied to the country.
Addressing the media from Thiruvananthapuram, Narayanan expressed his vision for ISRO, stating, “We have a clear roadmap for India, and I hope to take ISRO to greater heights with the exceptional talent we have.”
A distinguished scientist at ISRO and the senior-most director within the organisation, Narayanan is an expert in propulsion systems. Under his leadership, the LPSC has been at the forefront of developing advanced propulsion technologies, including liquid, semi-cryogenic, and cryogenic propulsion systems for launch vehicles, as well as chemical and electric propulsion systems for satellites. The centre also works on control systems for launch vehicles and transducers for monitoring the health of space systems.
In addition to his directorial role, Narayanan chairs the Project Management Council-Space Transportation System (PMC-STS), which oversees decision-making for all launch vehicle projects. He also serves as the Chairman of the National Level Human Rated Certification Board (HRCB) for Gaganyaan, India’s ambitious human spaceflight mission.
Born and educated in Tamil-medium schools, Narayanan pursued advanced studies in aerospace and cryogenic engineering. He completed his M.Tech in Cryogenic Engineering and Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering at IIT Kharagpur, earning a Silver Medal for securing the top rank in his M.Tech program. Joining ISRO in 1984, he steadily rose through the ranks and became the Director of the LPSC in 2018.