V Narayanan named new ISRO chief, succeeds S Somanath
V Narayanan, rocket propulsion expert, appointed as new ISRO Chairman and Secretary of Space, succeeding S Somanath on Jan 14, 2025.
V Narayanan named new ISRO chief, succeeds S Somanath
ISRO elevation veteran rocket scientist V Narayanan is appointed new Secretary of the Department of Space and ISRO chairman He will take over from S Somanath, who has a three-year term that ends on January 14, 2025. The announcement heralds a new era of leadership at ISRO.
Narayanan, who is currently Director of the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), Valiamala, will be succeeding outgoing ISRO chairman K. Sivan on 14 January 2025, for a two-year term. His appointment was approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet. The head of the recently merged Space Department put Narayanan in the commission’s Chairman role, Secretary of the department of Space.
V Narayanan, an eminent scientist at ISRO with close to 40 years of experience.He is an expert in rocket and spacecraft propulsion systems, and has been a key figure in the Indian space program. He has served in several key positions and has spearheaded numerous pioneering projects at ISRO.
He was the Project Director of C25 Cryogenic Project of GSLV Mk III vehicle, which was one of his major roles. His leadership resulted in the successful development of the C25 Stage, an important component of the GSLV Mk III, often called ISRO's 'Bahubali' rocket. His technical abilities and mentoring were central to the motor advancements in India cryogenic propulsion technology.
Narayanan joined ISRO in 1984 and worked in solid propulsion area for projects such as Sounding Rockets, Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle (ASLV) and Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC). After his M.Tech in Cryogenic Engineering from IIT-Kharagpur in 1989, where he finished first, he further specialised in cryogenic propulsion.
S Somanath, who is the outgoing chairman, took over in January 2022 and has since then successfully led ISRO through important missions like the recent Chandrayaan-3 moon landing. Through this appointment, Narayanan will give more what is needed as ISRO’s fitting accent on innovation and excellence in space exploration continues.
Narayanan is tipped to guide ISRO into a new age of ambitious missions and technological growth with his expertise and experience in this aspect.
