Dr K Kasturirangan, Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) and former chairman of ISRO, has been awarded the prestigious Theodore Von Karman Award of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA), Paris, for the year 2007.

The award will be presented to Dr Kasturirangan at the Academy Day Dinner on September 23, 2007, at Hyderabad, during the 58th International Astronautical Congress organised jointly by International Astronautical Federation, International Academy of Astronautics and International Institute of Space Law.

Von Karman Award is the highest distinction of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) given annually to recognise outstanding lifetime achievements in any branch of science. The award was instituted in 1987 in memory of Dr Theodore Von Karman, legendary aerospace scientist, and the founder and the first president of the IAA. Some of the past recipients of the award are Dr Charles S Draper (US), Prof Reimar Lust (Germany), Dr William H Pickering (US), Sir Arthur C Clark (UK), Dr Hubert Curien (France), Prof Minoru Oda (Japan), Dr Jacques E Blamont (France) and Prof U R Rao (India).

Dr Kasturirangan has made immense contribution to the Indian space programme including the development of launch vehicles and satellite technology, applications in the areas of remote sensing, communications and education that have greatly benefited the society.

Dr Kasturirangan has also played a key role in international bodies including International Academy of Astronautics and Committee on Earth Observation Satellites.

Last year, he was appointed as an Academician of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, Rome, and was conferred the Honourary Fellowship by Cardiff University, UK.