• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved appointment of V. Narayanan, Director, Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), Valiamala as secretary of Department of Space and chairman of Space Commission for a period of two years with effect from January 14.

• Secretary, Department of Space, also holds the charge of chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

• He will succeed S. Somanath, who will complete his tenure next week.

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

Who is V. Narayanan?

• Narayanan, a distinguished Scientist at the ISRO, has nearly four decades of experience and has held various key positions within the Indian space organisation.

• Narayanan’s expertise lies in rocket and spacecraft propulsion. He was the Project Director for the C25 Cryogenic Project of the GSLV Mk Ill vehicle. Under his leadership, the team successfully developed the C25 Stage, a vital component of GSLV Mk III.

• Narayanan joined the ISRO in 1984 and functioned in various capacities before becoming Director of the LPSC in 2018.

• During the initial phase, for over four 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).

• In 1989, he completed M.Tech in Cryogenic Engineering with First Rank at IIT-Kharagpur and joined the Cryogenic Propulsion area in Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC).

• LPSC is the lead Centre of ISRO for the design, development and realisation of earth‐to‐orbit advanced propulsion Systems for Launch Vehicles and also space propulsion systems for spacecraft. 

• LPSC is vested with the responsibility of design, development and delivery of high performance Space Propulsion Systems employing Earth Storable, Cryogenic, Semi Cryogenic and Electric Propulsion Systems for ISRO launch vehicles and Satellites.

• LPSC activities and facilities are spread across its two campuses — LPSC, Valiamala in Thiruvananthapuram and LPSC, Bengaluru. 

Genesis of ISRO

• The space research activities were initiated in our country during the early 1960s, when applications using satellites were in experimental stages even in the United States. With the live transmission of Tokyo Olympic Games across the Pacific by the American Satellite ‘Syncom-3’ demonstrating the power of communication satellites, Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, the founding father of Indian space programme, quickly recognised the benefits of space technologies for India.

• To spearhead the space research activities, Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR) was set up in 1962 under the department of atomic energy. 

• Work on Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) near Thiruvananthapuram was also started during the same year. 

• In August 1969, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) was established. 

• In June 1972, the Space Commission and the Department of Space (DOS) were constituted by the government and brought ISRO under DOS in September 1972.

• The Space Commission formulates the policies and oversees the implementation of the Indian space programme to promote the development and application of space science and technology for the socio-economic benefit of the country.

• The Aryabhata spacecraft, named after the famous Indian astronomer, was India’s first satellite. It was completely designed and fabricated in India and launched by a Soviet Kosmos-3M rocket from Kapustin Yar on April 19, 1975.

• Over the years, ISRO has upheld its mission of bringing space to the service of the common man and to the service of the nation. 

• In the process, it has become one of the largest space agencies in the world.

• ISRO maintains one of the largest fleet of communication satellites (INSAT) and remote sensing (IRS) satellites, that cater to the ever growing demand for fast and reliable communication and earth observation respectively. 

• ISRO develops and delivers application specific satellite products and tools for  broadcasts, communications, weather forecasts, disaster management tools, Geographic Information Systems, cartography, navigation, telemedicine, etc.

• To achieve complete self-reliance in terms of these applications, it was essential to develop cost efficient and reliable launch systems, which took shape in the form of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). The famed PSLV went on to become a favoured carrier for satellites of various countries due to its reliability and cost efficiency, promoting unprecedented international collaboration. The Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) was developed keeping in mind the heavier and more demanding Geosynchronous communication satellites.

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