List of ISRO Chairman 2023: Name, Tenure and Other Important Facts

List of ISRO Chairman:  Since 1963, 11 people have been appointed as ISRO Chairpersons. S Somanath has been appointed as the tenth ISRO Chief on 12 January 2022 by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC). He succeeded K. Sivan who took the charge in January 2018. The first chairman of the ISRO was Dr. Vikram Sarabhai. 

Here's the complete list of ISRO Chairpersons. 

List of ISRO Chairmen: Important Points

• The first satellite of India, Aryabhata was launched in 1975.
• The first lunar mission from India known as Chandrayaan-1 was announced by former Prime Minister, the late Atal Bihari Vajpayee on August 15, 2003. The rocket took its flight in 2008. 

• ISRO has had 11 chairmen since its inception. The first chairman of ISRO was Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, who is considered the father of the Indian space program.

• The current chairman of ISRO is S. Somanath. He is also one of the brains behind India's vision to land on the moon and took charge of the Chandrayaan 3 mission. 
• Dr. Shailesh Nayak was earlier associated with studies related to oceanography and remote sensing. He served as the interim chief of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for a brief period of 11 days.

List of ISRO Chairmen: Important Facts 

1. Dr. Vikram Sarabhai (1963 to 1972) is considered the Father of the Indian space program. Vikram Sarabhai established these institutions:
I. Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Ahmedabad.
II. Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmedabad
III. Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram
IV. Faster Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR), Kalpakkam

2. Prof. M. G. K. Menon (Jan-Sep 1972 )
I. He was known for his work on cosmic rays and particle physics, particularly on the high-energy inter-actions of elementary particles.

3. Prof. Satish Dhawan (1972-1984)
I. He succeeded Vikram Sarabhai, the founder of the Indian space programme, as Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in 1972.
II. His efforts led to operational systems like INSAT and PSLV in India.

4. Prof. Udupi Ramachandra Rao (1984-1994)
I. Dr. Rao undertook the responsibility for the establishment of satellite technology in India in 1972.
II. He was in the lead role in designing the first Indian satellite 'Aryabhata' in 1975.

5. Dr. Krishnaswamy Kasturirangan (1994-2003)
I. Under his leadership, as Chairman, ISRO, the space programme has witnessed several major milestones in the name of PSLV and GSLV.
II. He was also the Project Director for India's first two experimental earth observation satellites, BHASKARA-I & II.

6. Shri G.Madhavan Nair (2003-2009)
I. Chandrayaan-1 was India's first lunar probe. It was launched under the chairmanship of Shri G.Madhavan Nair.
II. During his tenure of six years as Chairman, ISRO/Secretary, 25 successful missions were accomplished by ISRO.

7. Dr. K. Radhakrishnan (2009-2014)
I. India's first interplanetary mission Mangalyaan was launched under the chairmanship of Mr.K. Radhakrishnan.

8. Shri A S Kiran Kumar (2015 to 2018)
I. He has done a commendable job in the launch of Chandrayaan-1 and Mars Orbiter Mission of India.
II. Indian National Regional Navigation System (IRNSS) and GAGAN have been developed under his supervision.

9. Dr. K. Sivan (2018 to 2022)
I. He has significantly contributed towards end-to-end mission planning, design, integration and analysis.
II. His tenure has been marked with the launch of Chandrayaan-2 and the acceleration of India's manned space program.

10.  S Somanath (appointed in Jan 2022)

S Somanath has been appointed as the tenth ISRO Chief on 12 January 2022 by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC). 

In the conclusion, it can be said that the ISRO is doing a very commendable job in the areas of space and astronomy. The contribution given by all the chairmen of ISRO is very appreciable, especially Dr. Vikram Sarabhai.

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