THIRUVANATHAPURAM: Senior scientist A Rajarajan has been appointed as the new Director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram.
He will assume charge on August 1, succeeding S Unnikrishnan Nair, who is set to retire on July 31. Dr Rajarajan currently serves as Director of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR (SDSC SHAR), Sriharikota.
A veteran in the Indian space sector with nearly four decades of experience, Dr Rajarajan is widely regarded as an expert in composite materials, critical for building lightweight, durable, and high-strength structures used in satellites, spacecraft, and launch vehicles.
During his tenure at SDSC SHAR, Dr Rajarajan played a pivotal role in enhancing launch infrastructure to meet the growing demands of ISRO's ambitious missions, including the Human Space Programme (Gaganyaan) and the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV).
Under his leadership, the Centre undertook comprehensive resource planning to support both ISRO and the emerging commercial space sector, in line with India's new space policy. An exclusive launch complex for SSLV is also being developed under his guidance.
Dr Rajarajan has previously held several leadership roles at VSSC and has contributed significantly to the indigenisation of critical space systems. He was instrumental in engaging Indian industries and forging strategic collaborations that strengthened ISRO's capabilities in composite technology and solid motor production.
As Director of SDSC SHAR, he led multidisciplinary teams involved in solid motor production and launch operations, overseeing the successful execution of several major missions including Chandrayaan-3, Gaganyaan's TV-D1 test vehicle mission, Aditya L1, SSLV, and LVM3 M2/OneWeb India-1—the first dedicated commercial mission. He also supervised the launch of Vikram-S, India’s first privately built rocket.
Notably, Dr Rajarajan played a key role in facilitating private participation in India’s space sector. He enabled Hyderabad-based start-up Skyroot Aerospace to launch Vikram-S and supported Chennai-based Agnikul Cosmos in the successful launch of its maiden flight.