The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has appointed rocket scientist K. Sivan as next Secretary of the Department of Space and Chairman of Space Commission and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
He will succeed A.S. Kiran Kumar as the ninth head of the country’s Space establishment and will have term of three years.
Mr. Sivan is currently Director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Trivandrum and had mastered the development of cryogenic engines for India.
It was Mr Sivan's expertise that gave ISRO the ability to send 104 satellites in a single mission, setting a world record in February 2017.
He also had played key role in developing indigenous Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) MK II and was part of team that ideated on Swadeshi space shuttle (a reusable launch vehicle).