Eminent scientist A S Kiran Kumar was today appointed Secretary, Department of Space and Chairman of Space Commission.

Kumar has been appointed for a period of three years on re-employment on contract basis, an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training said.

He is presently working as Director, Space Applications Centre (SAC)-- a unique centre of Indian Space Research Organisation--and has been steering design, development, realisation and other programmes undertaken by it.

Kumar is a Padma Shri awardee.
Shailesh Nayak, Secretary in Ministry of Earth Sciences, was handling additional charge of Department of Space.

He was given the additional charge of Department of Space for one month on January 1, this year. The vacancy has necessitated following superannuation of K Radhakrishnan on December 31, 2014.