India has appointed rocket scientist V Narayanan as the new chief of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), the government on Tuesday said, an important role as India works to become a space superpower.
Narayanan S. He succeeds Somnath, who became chair in 2022, and has been credited with making the 54-year-old space agency more accessible and opening it up to engage with the next generation.
Narayanan, who has worked on major rocket launches such as ISRO’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle and headed the center that designs and develops liquid propulsion systems for the agency, will take charge on January 14 for a two-year tenure.
Narayanan did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The $400 billion global commercial space market is expected to grow to $1 trillion by 2030. The federal government has said that India wants to increase its share in the global space market and achieve a share of $40 billion by 2040.
