A S Kiran Kumar takes over as Secretary, Department of Space,
Chairman, Space Commission and Chairman, ISRO
Mr A S Kiran Kumar, Distinguished Scientist (Apex) and Director, Space
Applications Centre, Ahmedabad, assumed the office of the Secretary,
Department of Space, Chairman, Space Commission and Chairman, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) today (January 14, 2015).
Mr Kiran Kumar is a highly accomplished space scientist and engineer with
a distinguished career spanning over four decades in ISRO in the satellite
payload and applications domains.
He has made immense contributions to the design and development of
Electro-Optical Imaging Sensors for Airborne, Low Earth Orbit and
Geostationary Orbit satellites starting from Bhaskara TV payload to the
latest Mars Colour Camera, Thermal Infrared Imaging Spectrometer and
Methane Sensor for Mars instruments of India’s Mars Orbiter Spacecraft,
which has successfully completed one hundred days in Mars Orbit recently.
Mr Kiran Kumar was instrumental in evolving the successful strategy for
steering the Mars Orbiter Spacecraft towards planet Mars as well as its
Mars Orbit Insertion. He has also made significant contributions for
evolving the observation strategy encompassing land, ocean, atmospheric
and planetary studies.
Mr Alur Seelin Kiran Kumar is an alumnus of National College, the esteemed
educational institution of Bangalore. He obtained his Physics (Honours)
Degree from Bangalore University in 1971 and later obtained his Master’s
degree in Electronics from the same university in 1973, and thereafter his
M.Tech Degree in Physical Engineering from the Indian Institute of
Science, Bangalore in 1975.
Mr Kiran Kumar began his career in ISRO by joining Space Applications
Centre (SAC) in 1975. Later, he became its Associate Director and in
March 2012 took over as the Director of SAC.
At SAC, Mr Kiran Kumar has been steering the design, development &
realisation of payloads and application activities of earth observation,
communication, navigation, space science and planetary exploration.
Mr Kiran Kumar is a recipient of many national and international
laurels/awards including the Padma Shri Award conferred by the President
of India in 2014, International Academy of Astronautics’ Laurels for Team
Achievement Award for Cartosat in 2008 and for Chandrayaan-1 in 2013,
Indian Society of Remote Sensing (ISRS) Award for the year 1994, VASVIK
award (Electronic sciences and technology) for the year 1998,
Astronautical Society of India Award (Space Sciences and Applications) for
the year 2001, ISRO individual Service Award 2006, Bhaskara Award of ISRS
in 2007 and ISRO Performance Excellence Award 2008.
He is a Fellow of professional institutions like Indian National Academy
of Engineering, Indian Society of Remote Sensing, Institution of
Electronics & Telecommunication Engineer, and Indian Meteorological
Society. Besides, he is a member of the International Academy of
Astronautics.
Mr Kiran Kumar has represented ISRO in international forums like World
Meteorological Organisation (WMO), Committee on Earth Observation
Satellites (CEOS) and Indo-US Joint Working Group on Civil Space
Cooperation.
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NK