Ex-ISRO Chief K Kasturirangan Passes Away In Bengaluru

. He also headed the Space Commission and served as Secretary to the Government of India in the Department of Space until August 27, 2003.

Former ISRO chief, K Kasturirangan, who led the Indian Space programme for over nine years, passed away in Bengaluru on Friday

Source : PTI

Former ISRO chief, K Kasturirangan passed away in Bengaluru on Friday at the age of 84. He steered the Indian Space programme for over nine years as the Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation. 

"He left for heavenly abode this morning at his residence in Bengaluru. His body will be kept at Raman Research Institute (RRI) for paying last respects on April 27," the officials said, reported PTI. 

He also headed the Space Commission and served as Secretary to the Government of India in the Department of Space, before laying down his office on August 27, 2003.

Krishnaswamy Kasturirangan is also known as the man behind education reforms listed in NEP. He also served as chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University and chairman of the Karnataka Knowledge Commission.

He also served as a member of the Rajya Sabha from 2003 to 2009 and as member of then and chairman of the Karnataka Knowledge Commission.

He was also the director of the National Institute Of Advanced Studies, Bangalore from April 2004 to 2009. 

Kasturirangan has been conferred with Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Vibhushan and published over 200 papers both in international and national journals in the areas of astronomy, space science, space applications. 

He pursued his Bachelor of Science with Honours and Master of Science degrees in Physics from Bombay University and received his Doctorate Degree in Experimental High Energy Astronomy in 1971 working at the Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad.

Kasturirangan's Career At ISRO 

He earlier served as the Director of ISRO Satellite Centre where he oversaw the activities related to the development of new generation spacecraft, Indian National Satellite (INSAT-2) and Indian Remote Sensing Satellites (IRS-1A & 1B) as well as scientific satellites.

He was also the Project Director for the first two experimental earth observation satellites of India, BHASKARA-I & II. Subsequently he was taksed for overall direction of the first operational Indian Remote Sensing Satellite, IRS-1A.