Dr. V. Narayanan has been appointed Secretary of the Department of Space and the next Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). On January 14, 2025, he succeeds S. Somanath as the present head of ISRO. Currently serving as the head of the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) in Valiamala, Kerala, is seasoned scientist Narayanan.
His appointment was confirmed by a Department of Personnel and Training directive. “The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Shri V. Narayanan as Secretary, Department of Space and Chairman, Space Commission for a period of two years with effect from 14.01.2025, or until further orders, whichever is earlier,” as per order.
Narayanan has worked for India’s space program for almost 40 years, having joined ISRO in 1984. His area of expertise is propulsion for rockets and spacecraft. He has held important positions in ISRO over the years, including spearheading the creation of cryogenic, liquid, and semi-cryogenic propulsion systems for launch vehicles.
In his capacity as LPSC Director, he is in charge of launch vehicle control systems, rocket and satellite propulsion systems, and space system health monitoring technologies. The Project Management Council-Space Transportation System (PMC-STS), which decides on ISRO’s launch vehicle programs, is also chaired by him.
He also received the Team Award from the High Energy Materials Society of India and multiple ISRO accolades, including the Outstanding Achievement Award, Performance Excellence Award, and Team Excellence Awards.
Sathyabama University in Chennai awarded Narayanan an honorary Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa) degree. In 2018, IIT Kharagpur also named him a Distinguished Alumnus. He was awarded the National Aeronautical Prize by the Aeronautical Society of India in 2019 as well as the National Design Award by the Institution of Engineers (India).
