V Narayanan Appointed As New Chairman Of ISRO, Set To Take Over From S Somanath On 14 January

V Narayanan has been named as the next chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Secretary, Department of Space, by the Centre.

He will take the charge from S Somanath, the present chief of the organisation, on 14 January.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet announced on Tuesday that V Narayanan, currently heading the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) at Valiamala, has been appointed for a tenure of two years.

In addition to leading ISRO, Narayanan will serve as the Chairman of the Space Commission.

He has played a key role in developing India's cryogenic engine technology, a milestone achieved despite international restrictions.

A distinguished scientist (APEX Scale) and the seniormost director at ISRO, Narayanan currently heads the the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre.

This centre focuses on the development of propulsion systems for launch vehicles, including liquid, semi-cryogenic, and cryogenic stages, alongside chemical and electric systems for satellites, launch vehicle control systems, and transducers for space systems health monitoring.

Narayanan also chairs the Project Management Council-Space Transportation System (PMC-STS), the decision-making body in all launch vehicle projects and programmes, and the National Level Human Rated Certification Board (HRCB) for Gaganyaan, India’s ambitious human spaceflight programme.

Narayanan, who studied in Tamil-medium schools, holds an M Tech in Cryogenic Engineering and a PhD in Aerospace Engineering from IIT Kharagpur.

An expert in rocket and spacecraft propulsion, Narayanan began his career at ISRO in 1984 and ascended to the position of director at the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre in 2018.

S Somanath, who assumed the role of ISRO chief in January 2022, led the organisation during a historic period when India became the first nation to land a rover on the Moon’s south pole.

His tenure also saw India join the exclusive group of nations achieving a soft landing on the Moon, alongside the US, the former Soviet Union, and China.

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