V. Narayanan Takes Over as ISRO Chief and Space Secretary

Dr. V. Narayanan, a distinguished scientist with nearly four decades of experience in rocket and spacecraft propulsion, has been appointed as the new Secretary of the Department of Space and Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). He will succeed S. Somanath, effective from January 14, 2025, as per the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet. Currently serving as the Director of the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), Dr. Narayanan brings a wealth of expertise in liquid and cryogenic propulsion systems. His leadership has been instrumental in several landmark ISRO missions, including the development of the GSLV Mk III and Chandrayaan-3 propulsion systems.

Key Highlights of Appointment

• New Role: Chairman of ISRO, Secretary of the Department of Space
• Effective Date: January 14, 2025
• Tenure: 2 years or until further orders
• Previous Role: Director of Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC)
• Appointed by: Appointments Committee of the Cabinet

Who is Dr. V. Narayanan?

• Joined ISRO in 1984
• Expertise: Rocket propulsion, spacecraft propulsion, and launch vehicle systems
• Current Role: Director of LPSC, Valiamala, Thiruvananthapuram
• Key Contributions: Development of GSLV Mk-II & Mk-III, Chandrayaan-3 propulsion systems, and Gaganyaan propulsion systems

Major Contribution in Isro

• Area of Work Contribution
• Solid Propulsion Systems: Worked on Sounding Rockets, ASLV, and PSLV at Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC)
• Liquid Propulsion Systems: Delivered 183 propulsion systems for various ISRO missions
• Cryogenic Propulsion: Led the C25 Cryogenic Project for GSLV Mk III
• Chandrayaan-2 & 3: Chaired the National Expert Committee for Chandrayaan-2 lander crash analysis
• Gaganyaan Mission: Heads the National Level Human Rated Certification Board (HRCB) for Gaganyaan

Academic Achievements

• MTech in Cryogenic Engineering from IIT Kharagpur
• PhD in Aerospace Engineering from IIT Kharagpur
• Awarded Silver Medal for academic excellence
• Honorary Doctor of Science from Sathyabama University, Chennai

Awards and Recognition

• ASI Award for Rocket and Related Technologies
• Gold Medal from Astronautical Society of India (ASI)
• ISRO Awards
• Outstanding Achievement Award
• Performance Excellence Award
• Team Excellence Award
• High Energy Materials Society of India: Team Award

Achievements Under S. Somanath Leadership

• Mission Achievements
• Chandrayaan-3: India became the first country to land a rover on the Moon’s south pole
• Aditya L1: Launched India’s first solar mission
• Gaganyaan: Conducted the first developmental flight for India’s human spaceflight program
• Mars Orbiter Launched: Mangalyaan successfully