New Delhi: Rocket scientist V Narayanan has been appointed as Secretary of the Department of Space, succeeding S Somanath, whose tenure ends next week. Narayanan will also assume the role of Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), as the two positions are held concurrently.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet announced that Narayanan, currently Director of the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) in Valiamala, will take charge for a two-year term starting January 14, 2025, or until further orders, reported PTI.

A distinguished scientist with nearly four decades of experience at ISRO, Narayanan specialises in rocket and spacecraft propulsion. He played a pivotal role as Project Director of the C25 Cryogenic Project for the GSLV Mk III, overseeing the successful development of the C25 stage, a critical component of the launch vehicle.

Narayanan joined ISRO in 1984 and initially worked in the Solid Propulsion domain, contributing to projects like Sounding Rockets, Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle (ASLV), and Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC).

In 1989, after earning an M Tech in Cryogenic Engineering with First Rank from IIT-Kharagpur, he shifted focus to cryogenic propulsion at LPSC. His extensive contributions to India’s space program have established him as a leading expert in propulsion systems.

Somanath, who assumed office on January 14, 2022, will complete his three-year tenure next week.

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