Sivan is new Isro chief

Director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre K Sivan has been appointed the new chairman of The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro).

He will succeed A S Kiran Kumar who assumed office on January 14, 2015.

"The Appointment Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Sivan K, director, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram, as secretary, Department of Space and Chairman, Space Commission, with a tenure of three years," the department of personnel and training stated in its order.

Sivan joined Isro in 1982 in Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle project and contributed towards mission planning, design, integration and analysis.

The strategies he perfected for PSLV became the foundation for Isro launch vehicles like GSLV, GSLV-MK3 and RLV-TD.

After graduating from the Madras Institute of Technology in aeronautical engineering, Sivan did his masters in aerospace engineering from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.

He completed his PhD in aerospace engineering from IIT-Bombay in 2006.

Sivan's contribution in Isro includes setting up a parallel computing facility and hypersonic wind tunnel that opened new avenues in the area of computational fluid dynamics, and self-reliance in wind-tunnel testing.

The seniormost Isro scientist evolved novel strategies for launching India's Mars mission using the PSLV, Isro's workhorse.

He also led the reusable launch vehicle (RLV-TD) programme and spearheaded its design, aerodynamic characterisation and hardware development.

Sivan joined GSLV project in April 2011 as project director with a mandate to demonstrate the robustness and reliability of GSLV and indigenous cryo engine in flight.

His leadership led to the achievement of the successful GSLV flight with the indigenous cryogenic stage.

The upcoming space missions that he has to lead includes Chandrayan-II and the mission to the Sun Aditya-L1.

Also further development of GSLV-MK-III would happen under his command.