Dr V Narayanan, a Distinguished Scientist at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), has been appointed as the next Chairman of the organisation, according to an official announcement on Tuesday. He will assume the role on January 14, succeeding the current Chairman, S Somnath.

Dr Narayanan, who currently serves as the Director of the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), brings nearly four decades of experience in the space sector. His expertise lies in the field of rocket and spacecraft propulsion, and he has held several pivotal roles within ISRO throughout his career.

One of his key achievements was leading the development of the C25 Stage for the GSLV Mk III vehicle as the Project Director of the C25 Cryogenic Project. This critical component played a significant role in ISRO's launch capabilities.

Under his leadership at LPSC, the centre delivered 183 Liquid Propulsion Systems and Control Power Plants for various ISRO missions. Dr Narayanan also oversaw the realisation of the second and fourth stages of PSLV rockets and contributed to propulsion systems for major missions such as Aditya L1, Chandrayaan-2, and Chandrayaan-3.

He has been the recipient of several prestigious accolades, including the Silver Medal from IIT Kharagpur, the Gold Medal from the Astronautical Society of India, and the National Design Award from the National Design and Research Forum (NDRF).

Dr Narayanan’s leadership is expected to guide ISRO through its upcoming projects and enhance its capabilities in space exploration and technology development.