The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has appointed V. Narayanan, Director of the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), as the new Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Secretary of the Department of Space.
New Delhi: The appointment committee of the cabinet has appointed V Narayanan as the new chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Secretary of Department of Space on Tuesday. V Narayanan will take over S Somnath, the current ISRO chairman on January 14. According to official orders, Narayanan will serve in the role for next two years, until further notice.
An official order from the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances, and Pensions states, “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.”
V. Narayanan
V. Narayanan is currently serving as the Director of the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) of ISRO, located in Valiamala, Kerala. He s a highly respected scientist with nearly four decades of experience in rocket and spacecraft propulsion. He joined ISRO in 1984 and has worked in various capacities before becoming the Director of LPSC. In the earlier stages of his career, he contributed to the development of solid propulsion area for Sounding Rockets, the Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle (ASLV), and the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC).
Contributions
Narayanan has made significant contributions in the planning, process control, and realization of critical components, such as ablative nozzle systems, composite motor casings, and composite igniter cases. Currently, as the Director of LPSC, he leads one of ISRO’s key centers, which focuses on the development of liquid propulsion systems for rockets and spacecraft. The center have its headquarters in Valiamala, Thiruvananthapuram, with an additional unit located in Bengaluru.
(with inputs from agencies)
