SR Biju, the new director of HSFC (left) and DK Singh, who has taken over as director, URSC.
Bengaluru: A wave of superannuations across Isro in recent months has triggered one of the most extensive leadership reshuffles at its major centres, with new directors taking charge of facilities responsible for rockets, spacecraft, propulsion, launch operations, mission control and human spaceflight. The reshuffles mark a transition in the leadership overseeing Isro’s next phase, with the Gaganyaan test campaign providing the first major measure of how that transition works in practice.
The transition comes at a crucial point for Gaganyaan, with the first uncrewed mission targeted within the next 16-20 weeks. At VSSC, Isro’s principal centre for launch vehicle development, A Rajarajan superannuated and UP Rajeev took over as director on July 1. The leadership change comes as Isro prepares to resume a busy launch schedule, with the GSLV-F17/EOS-05 mission scheduled for Sept 4.
Because their directors reached superannuation, at least seven major centres have seen leadership changes in the past few months, largely. Because vSSC is deeply involved in the launch vehicle systems needed for Gaganyaan, apart from Isro’s broader rocket programmes, rajeev’s appointment is significant. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Bengaluru | Silver Rate in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru | Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Petrol Price in Bengaluru | Diesel Price in Bengaluru | CNG Price in Bengaluru | LPG Price in Bengaluru Stay updated with the latest Bengaluru news.
At the Human Space Flight Centre (HSFC), which is coordinating the Gaganyaan programme , SR Biju, the previous director (projects) at Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) and associated with the Gaganyaan programme, took over as director after DK Singh was moved to head the UR Rao Satellite Centre (URSC). The programme is moving towards a phase in which work at several centres must come together. At the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, which serves as India’s spaceport, ES Padma Kumar at the helm was succeeded by S Muthuchezhian. URSC, Isro’s main spacecraft development centre in Bengaluru, has seen M Sankaran superannuate, with HSFC director DK Singh moving in as the new director. Other changes have followed a similar pattern. At the Isro Propulsion Complex (IPRC) in Mahendragiri, Asir Packiraj was succeeded by Narayan Appu. At the Isro Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC), Anil Kumar superannuated and MR Raghavendra took over. At the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), M Mohan was succeeded by Jayan N. GFX: Name From To Nature of change SR Biju VSSC HSFC Moved to head HSFC DK Singh HSFC URSC Moved to head URSC A Rajarajan VSSC — Superannuated; succeeded by UP Rajeev ES Padma Kumar Satish Dhawan Space Centre — Succeeded by S Muthuchezhian M Sankaran URSC — Superannuated; succeeded by DK Singh Asir Packiraj IPRC — Succeeded by Narayan Appu Anil Kumar ISTRAC — Superannuated; succeeded by MR Raghavendra M Mohan LPSC — Succeeded by Jayan N. Download the TOI App.