V Narayanan Appointed As The New ISRO Chief

It is to be noted here that the Secretary, Department of Space holds the post of the chairman of the ISRO.

In an order issued on January 7, 2025, the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT) said, “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 January 14, 2025, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.”

Somanath had earlier assumed charge as the Secretary of the Department of Space, on January 14, 2022, for a term of three years.

Accomplished Career At ISRO

Narayanan is an acclaimed space scientist at the ISRO with nearly four decades of experience. His expertise lies in rocket and spacecraft propulsion due to his experience as the Director for the C25 Cryogenic Project of the GSLV Mk Ill vehicle.

He led the project to successfully develop the C25 Stage, a vital component of GSLV Mk III.

Narayanan joined the ISRO in 1984 and worked in different capacities before becoming Director of the Valiamala Centre.

During the initial phase, for four and a half years, he worked in the Solid Propulsion area of Sounding Rockets and Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle (ASLV) and Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) in Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC).

Narayanan holds an MTech degree in Cryogenic Engineering with First Rank at IIT-Kharagpur and joined the Cryogenic Propulsion area in the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC). He did his master’s in 1989.

Upcoming Projects Under New Leader 

In recent times the ISRO has been on the path of accomplishing a series of groundbreaking efforts including a mission to explore Venus and advance human spaceflight.

The ISRO’s upcoming projects, which Narayanan will spearhead to ensure India’s growing prowess in space technology, are as follows.

1. A project to unveil the mysteries of Venus, which is named “Shukrayaan Mission”, is to be completed by 2028. For this, the ISRO has recently got government approval. Under the project, a Venus-orbiting satellite is scheduled for launch in 2028. This will be equipped with advanced instruments like synthetic aperture radar and ultraviolet imaging systems. The satellite will investigate Venus’ dense atmosphere, composed primarily of carbon dioxide and sulfuric acid.
2. Another important mission is ‘Chandrayaan’, a collaborative ‘Lunar Exploration’, which will be completed by 2030. After a successful ‘Chandrayaan-3’ mission, ISRO is going to launch ‘Chandrayaan-4’. This project is a joint mission with Japan targeting the Moon’s south pole.
3. The Mars Mission is another project to go beyond Earth's orbit. India’s Space Organisation has planned to expand its Mars programme, building on the achievements of the Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan). It plans to reach the next level by not only orbiting the Red Planet but also attempting a surface landing.
4. The most important among the space missions at the ISRO is ‘Gaganyaan’. It aims to launch India’s 'Human Spaceflight' (2024-2026). The programme is on track to deliver significant milestones, and the first unmanned mission is slated for launch within the next two years, followed by India’s inaugural manned spaceflight.
5. INSAT 4 Series work is also in progress to further enhance India’s prowess in meteorological and oceanographic insights. The mission will incorporate new sensors and advanced satellites to improve weather forecasting and environmental monitoring.
6. India plans to have its first Space Station by 2028-2035 and this landmark initiative has the government's green signal. The Indian space station is going to have five modules, with the first module set to launch in 2028 and the station in its entirety is planned to be operational by 2035.

With these ambitious projects, ISRO is poised to cement its position as a global leader in space exploration and all these projects will witness greater momentum with Narayanan sitting at the helm.