Dr V Narayanan Appointed As New ISRO Chairman, Succeeding S Somanath

Dr V Narayanan has been appointed as the new chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Secretary of the Department of Space, effective January 14, 2025,  and will be for a period of two years or until further orders.

He will succeed S Somanath, whose tenure is set to conclude.

The appointment was announced in an official notification that stated, “The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Shri V. Narayanan, Director, Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre, Valiamala as Secretary, Department of Space and Chairman, Space Commission for a period of two years with effect from 14.01.2025, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.”

Who is Dr V Narayanan ?

Dr Narayanan currently serves as the Director of the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) at ISRO, Valiamala, and brings nearly four decades of experience in the space sector.

He is renowned for his expertise in rocket and spacecraft propulsion systems. His key contributions includes, the development of India’s liquid propulsion technology, a critical component of ISRO’s rocket and satellite missions.

Under his leadership, LPSC has made significant advancements in propulsion systems that power PSLV, GSLV, and the upcoming Gaganyaan spacecraft.

Dr Narayanan’s appointment comes at a critical juncture for ISRO, with several high-profile missions, including the Gaganyaan G1 crewless mission, IDRSS-01 satellite launch, SPADEx (Space Docking Experiment), and the joint NISAR mission with NASA, scheduled for the near future.

There was speculation that S Somanath’s tenure might be extended, especially with the Gaganyaan mission underway, a precedent set during K Sivan’s tenure, which was extended during the Chandrayaan-3 mission preparations.

However, the government has opted for a leadership change, appointing Dr Narayanan to spearhead India’s space agency.

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