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DR.K.KASTURIRANGAN |
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Under his leadership, as Chairman, ISRO, the space programme has witnessed several major milestones including the successful launching and operationalisation of the India's prestigious launch vehicle, the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and more recently, the first successful flight testing of the all important Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV). Further, he has also overseen the design, development and launching of the world's best civilian satellites, IRS-1C and 1D, realization of the second generation and initiation of third generation INSAT satellites, besides launching ocean observation satellites IRS-P3/P4. These efforts have put India as a pre-eminent space-faring nation among the handful of six countries that have major space programmes. As an Astrophysicist, Dr.Kasturirangan's interest includes research in high energy X-ray and gamma ray astronomy as well as optical astronomy. He has made extensive and significant contributions to studies of Cosmic x-ray sources, celestial gamma-ray and effect of cosmic x-rays in the lower atmosphere. Dr.Kasturirangan is a member of several important scientific academies, both within
India and abroad. He is presently the President of the Indian
Academy of Sciences at Bangalore and General President of the Indian Science Congress. He is a Fellow of the Indian
Academy of Sciences, Indian National Science Academy, National
Academy of Sciences of India, Indian National Academy of Engineering,
Astronautical Society of India, National Telematics Forum, The
Indian Meteorological Society and The Third World Academy of Sciences.
He is a Distinguished Fellow of the Institution of Electronics
and Telecommunications Engineers, Founder Member of the Astronomical
Society of India, Life Member of the Indian Physics Association,
Indian Science Congress Association and Indian Society of Remote
Sensing and Honorary Fellow of the Aeronautical Society of India
and Kerala Academy of Sciences. He is also a Member of the International
Astronomical Union and the International Academy of Astronautics
and is a member of its Board of Trustees. He has chaired some
of the prestigious international committees, such as, the International
Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS), Panel for Space
Research in Developing countries of COSPAR/ICSU, and the committee
meeting at senior official level of UN-ESCAP, that led to the
adoption of the "Delhi Declaration" by the Ministers
of the region (1999-2000). He is also the Chairman of the Governing
Board of the UN Centre for Space Science & Technology Education
(UN-CSSTE), of the Board of Governors of IIT Chennai, of the Governing
Council of the Raman Research Institute and Research Council of
the National Aerospace Laboratory. He has won several awards including
Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award in Engineering, Shri Hari Om Ashram
Dr.Vikram Sarabhai Prerit Award in Aerospace, M.P.Birla Memorial
Award in Astronomy, Shri M.M.Chugani Memorial Award in Applied
Science, H.K.Firodia Award in Science Technology, Rathindra Puraskar by Visvabharati, Santiniketan, Dr.M.N.Saha
Birth Centenary Medal for outstanding contributions in the field
of Space. He has been conferred Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan and
Padma Vibhushan. He has published more than 200 papers, both in
international and national journals in the areas of astronomy,
space science, space applications and has edited 6 books. | |
Dr.Krishnaswamy
Kasturirangan is presently Honorable Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha). Dr. Kasturirangan has steered the Indian Space programme gloriously for over 9 years as Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation, of Space Commission and Secretary to the Government of India in the Department of Space, before laying down his office on August 27, 2003. He was earlier the Director
of ISRO Satellite Centre, where he oversaw the activities related
to the development of new generation spacecraft, Indian National
Satellite (INSAT-2) and Indian Remote Sensing Satellites (IRS-1A
& 1B) as well as scientific satellites. He was also the Project
Director for India's first two experimental earth observation
satellites, BHASKARA-I & II and subsequently was responsible
for overall direction of the first operational Indian Remote Sensing
Satellite, IRS-1A. Dr.Kasturirangan took his Bachelor of Science
with Honours and Master of Science degrees in Physics from Bombay
University and received his Doctorate Degree in Experimental High
Energy Astronomy in 1971 working at the Physical Research Laboratory,
Ahmedabad.