Dr V Narayanan. (ISRO)
The Union Government has officially appointed Dr. V Narayanan as the new Secretary of the Department of Space and Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on January 7, 2025.
Dr. Narayanan succeeds Dr. S. Somanath, who will retire on January 14, 2025, after completing his tenure. A highly respected rocket scientist with nearly four decades of experience, Narayanan is set to steer ISRO towards new frontiers in space exploration.
Hailing from Kanniyakumari in Tamil Nadu, Dr. Narayanan is currently serving as the Director of the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) at ISRO. His career at ISRO began in 1984, and over the years, he has held several crucial positions within the organization. Narayanan’s work has been instrumental in the development of the C25 Cryogenic Project for the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) Mk III, a critical element that played a key role in India’s recent space missions.
Dr. Narayanan’s appointment comes at a crucial time for ISRO, as the agency prepares for several high-stakes missions in 2025. Known for his exceptional expertise in cryogenic propulsion and spacecraft technologies, Narayanan is recognized as a visionary leader who has significantly contributed to ISRO’s technological advancements, particularly in rocket propulsion. Under his leadership, India’s cryogenic propulsion systems have reached new milestones, helping ensure the success of missions like Chandrayaan-3 and India’s Gaganyaan program.
An alumnus of the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur, Narayanan earned his M.Tech in Cryogenic Engineering (1989) and a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering (2001). Over the years, he has been honored with several awards, including the National Design Award and the National Aeronautical Prize in 2019, as well as the Distinguished Alumnus Award from IIT Kharagpur in 2018. His outstanding contributions to rocket propulsion and cryogenic systems have been pivotal to ISRO’s space exploration missions.
In addition to his technical contributions, Dr. Narayanan has been an active researcher and academician. He has authored over 1,200 technical reports, papers, and book chapters, and he is frequently invited to deliver keynote addresses at leading institutions across India. He is also a member of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) and a Fellow of the Indian National Academy of Engineering.
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Looking ahead, 2025 promises to be a milestone year for ISRO. Narayanan will play a critical role in overseeing the launch of key projects, including the Gaganyaan mission, which will feature Vyommitra, a humanoid robot designed for spaceflight experiments. Additionally, ISRO is preparing for the launch of the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite in March 2025, which will be the world’s most expensive satellite, developed in collaboration with NASA. NISAR will be equipped with advanced radar systems that are expected to revolutionize Earth observation, addressing key global challenges such as climate change and natural disasters.
ISRO is also gearing up for the LVM3-M5 mission in the first quarter of 2025, which will serve an international customer, further solidifying India’s prominence in the global space market. Additionally, ISRO plans to launch a satellite for direct mobile communication with the US in early 2025.
As Dr. Narayanan takes the reins at ISRO, his leadership is set to drive India’s space ambitions forward, marking a new era of achievements in space science and exploration.
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