V Narayanan to Head ISRO as New Chairman

The government of India appointed Dr. V. Narayanan as the Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and secretary of Department of Space–for a period of two years. Narayanan will succeed Dr. S. Somanath, who has retired after a distinguished tenure. 

Narayanan will assume the leadership role on 14 January 2025. He currently serves as the director of Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), a research and development centre under ISRO. 

“Increasing India’s presence in space is my top priority,” said Dr. Narayanan. He plans to steer ISRO into an era of greater global prominence and increase India’s share in the global space economy from 2% to 10%, besides fostering deeper collaborations with international space agencies.

Known for his expertise in rocket propulsion and spacecraft technology, Dr. Narayanan’s appointment comes at a crucial time for ISRO. 

With the Gaganyaan mission (an uncrewed flight) on the horizon and increasing global competition in the space sector, his leadership is expected to steer India towards new milestones. 

He is widely credited for elevating India into an elite group of six nations with advanced cryogenic technology. As the architect of ISRO’s propulsion strategy, he has laid out a roadmap extending to 2037, ensuring sustained innovation in rocket and spacecraft development. 

Other key milestones include the preparations for Venus Orbiter Mission (VOM) and the Chandrayaan-4, a stepping stone for India’s space vision 2047, along with groundwork for India’s first space station, the Bharatiya Antriksh Station (BAS), to be deployed by 2035.

Dr. Narayanan’s vast experience and visionary approach are poised to further elevate India’s stature in the global space race.

The announcement comes with a mix of celebration and nostalgia as the organisation bids farewell to Somanath, regarded as one of ISRO’s finest leaders. Under his leadership, ISRO witnessed a series of groundbreaking missions, including Chandrayaan-3, Aditya-L1, TV-D1, XPoSat, and the recently launched SpaDeX mission. 

Somanath’s efforts have laid a strong foundation for India’s success with a major contribution to not just space technology but also India’s National Quantum Mission (NQM), with research into building the first quantum communication ground station in Ladakh. 

Narayanan’s Rise as an Aerospace Visionary

Narayanan hails from Melakattu village in Tamil Nadu’s Kanyakumari district. A brilliant academician, he holds a Diploma in Mechanical Engineering (DME), an AMIE in Mechanical Engineering, and an M.Tech in Cryogenic Engineering from IIT Kharagpur, where he graduated as a silver medallist. He further solidified his expertise with a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering.

His contribution to ISRO’s critical missions:

• Chandrayaan-2 and Chandrayaan-3: Spearheaded the development of the L110 Liquid Stage and C25 Cryogenic Stage of the LVM3, enabling precise spacecraft insertion into the Moon’s orbit.

• Gaganyaan Programme: Played a key role in human-rating the LVM3 vehicle, developing critical propulsion systems for the mission’s Crew and Service Modules, and overseeing the successful crew escape system test.

• Chaired the National Level Expert Committee that analysed the Chandrayaan-2 landing, leading to the improved landing success of Chandrayaan-3.

Narayanan has also received numerous awards for his contributions, including a Gold Medal from the Astronautical Society of India, National Design Award by the National Design and Research Forum, and National Aeronautical Prize by the Aeronautical Society of India.