List of ISRO Chairman 2025: Name, Tenure and Other Important Facts

List of ISRO Chairman: Last year was a noteworthy year for ISRO since this space organisation launched many successful missions, including the Chandrayaan-3 lunar mission. Additionally, ISRO also made history with its groundbreaking achievement of landing the Aditya L-1 mission on the sun.

These missions wouldn't be successful without meticulous planning, dedication, and hard work from the team at ISRO. Plus, it also needs a good leader who can guide and inspire the team towards achieving their goals.

As a result, the Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) holds a key role in supervising and guiding the organisation's missions and operations.

He or she serves as both a secretary to the Government of India and an executive of the Department of Space (DOS), which operates under the direct purview of the Prime Minister of India. Since 1963, 10 men have been appointed as the Chairmen of ISRO.

 Currently ISRO is busy in the development of the SpaDex Mission, a significant technological initiative by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to develop and demonstrate in-space docking technology. This puts India on the list of the elite countries—namely the United States, Russia, and China—that have mastered space docking technology. 

As we eagerly await the docking, watch this short video to learn more about the groundbreaking SpaDeX mission. Stay tuned for updates!

🚀✨ #SpaDeX #ISRO pic.twitter.com/MAEMar37Q7

— ISRO (@isro) January 1, 2025

Also Check: ISRO Full Form with All Details: Headquarters, Complete Information

Here's the complete list of ISRO Chairpersons: 

For You| What is SpaDex Mission? Know All About ISRO's Space Docking Mechanism and Spacecraft

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.
• Under S. Somanath's leadership, ISRO launched Chandrayaan-3, which will become the first Indian spacecraft to land on the Moon and the first in the world to do so on the South Pole of the lunar surface.

You Might Like: GK Quiz on ISRO: Test Your Knowledge About the India’s Space Research Centre

List of ISRO Chairmen: Important Facts 

1. Dr. Vikram Sarabhai (1963–1972) 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 1972-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, of 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 the 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 by the launch of Chandrayaan-2 and the acceleration of India's manned space program.

III. Unfortunately, the highly anticipated Chandryaan-2 lost communications hours before it was to land on the Moon and ultimately crashed. 

10.  S. Somanath (Jan 15, 2022- Jan 14, 2025)

I. Dr. S. Somanath was appointed as the tenth ISRO Chief on 15 January 2022 by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC). 

II. Under his purview, ISRO launched Chandrayaan-3 landed on the Moon on August 23, 2023. Now, India is the fourth nation in the world to have made landfall on the lunar surface. 

11. V Narayan (Jan 14, 2025-present)

I. V. Narayan is appointed as the 11th Chairman of ISRO, who will be succeeding S. Somanth, the former ISRO Cheif, on January 14, 2025.

II. He is a renowned scientist with a commendable four decades of experience in rocket and spacecraft propulsion.

III. He is a rocket and spacecraft propulsion expert who joined ISRO in 1984 and held various positions before becoming director of Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC).

IV. V Narayanan contributed to the planning, control, and implementation of Ablative nozzle systems, composite motor cases, and composite igniter cases.

Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of V Narayanan, Director, Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre, Valiamala as Secretary, Department of Space and Chairman, Space Commission for a period of two years with effect from January 14 pic.twitter.com/DNQ8XzNydy

— ANI (@ANI) January 7, 2025

In 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.

Also Read: National Space Day 2024: Everything You Need to Know About Chandrayaan 1, 2, and 3