Bengaluru, Jan 8: Central Government has named V Narayanan as the new Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). He will succeed current ISRO chief S Somanath along with additional charge of Secretary for the Department of Space.
As per the appointment order, V Narayanan will assume office on January 14 and will hold the positions for the next two years or until further notice.
"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,” the order stated.
It is worth mentioning that V Narayanan is a notable scientist with nearly 40 years of expertise in rocket and spacecraft propulsion. He has been a key figure in India's space program since joining ISRO in 1984.
He was born in Melakattuvilai village of Tamil Nadu’s Kanyakumari district to a farmer and homemaker. Despite his humble beginnings, he excelled academically and topped his Class X exams in a Tamil medium school.
He began his career at ISRO on February 1, 1984 when he joined the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) to work on solid propulsion. There he played a key role in the development of solid propulsion systems for Sounding Rockets, the Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle (ASLV), and the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). He also contributed significantly in process planning and the realization of advanced systems like ablative nozzles, composite motor cases, and composite igniter cases.
In 1989, Narayanan completed his M Tech in cryogenic engineering from IIT Kharagpur. He secured the first rank for which he received a silver medal. Later, he completed a PhD in aerospace engineering and contributed significantly to ISRO missions like Chandrayaan, Mangalyaan, and Aditya-L1.
In 1989, he moved to the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), a critical ISRO facility headquartered in Thiruvananthapuram, where he focused on cryogenic propulsion. He is currently serving as the Director of the facility.
As Director of LPSC, Narayanan advanced propulsion systems, including semi-cryogenic and electric propulsion, and crafted ISRO’s Propulsion Roadmap (2017–2037).
His M Tech thesis at IIT Kharagpur directly contributed in developing cryogenic propulsion systems which made India self-reliant and one of only six nations globally capable of deploying this critical technology.
Under his leadership, ISRO has made significant strides, including the recent launch of SpaDex, an indigenous space docking technology. This innovation is a game-changer for missions like Chandrayaan-4 and Gaganyaan and places India among an elite group of nations—alongside the United States, Russia, and China—that possess such advanced technology.
Narayanan has received numerous accolades, including the Distinguished Alumnus Award from IIT Kharagpur, the Gold Medal from the Astronautical Society of India (ASI), and the National Design Award.
Furthermore, he has published over 1,200 internal reports and 50 journal/conference papers, and contributed to several books.
