BENGALURU: The list of Padma Shri awardees includes two scientists from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) who played an instrumental role in the success of the Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) which reached the red planet last year.
S K Shivakumar, now Director of the ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC), joined the space agency in 1976. He played a part in the development of the telemetry system for Chandrayaan - I mission. As Director of ISAC, he was also overseeing the incorporation of the satellite subsystems and scientific payloads into the structure at ISAC.
The other awardee, S Arunan, also had worked on the Chandrayaan mission before being appointed Project Director for the Mars Mission. A mechanical engineering graduate from the Coimbatore Institute of Technology, Arunan hails from a simple family from Tirunelvelli. He led his team through a host of challenges which included making sure that the spacecraft reached Mars as well as ensuring that the communications channel remained functional throughout the journey.
K Radhakrishnan, the ISRO Chairman during the Mars Mission, was awarded the Padma Bhushan last year.