Krishnaswami Kasturirangan or K. Kasturi Rangan (English: Krishnaswamy Kasturirangan, born October 24, 1940, Kerala) is a famous space scientist of India. As a physicist, he has been the Chairman of ISRO, Chairman of the Space Commission and Secretary of the Department of Space, Government of India. Dr. K. Kasturirangan steered the Indian space program for more than nine years as Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization and Secretary of the Department of Space, Government of India, before stepping down on August 27, 2003.
India’s famous space scientist Dr. K. Kasturi Rangan was born on October 24, 1940 in Ernakulam city of Kerala.
Kasturi Rangan received her higher education at Mumbai University. From there he obtained undergraduate and graduate degrees in Physics. Then he did his doctorate in Physics from the Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad. Astrology and astrophysics were his major subjects of study. Dr. Krishnaswamy Kasturirangan received a Bachelor of Science degree with Honors and a Master of Science degree in Physics from the University of Bombay and obtained the Doctorate of Science in Experimental Astronomy in 1971 while working at the Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad.
Presently he is the Director of the Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad and Honorary Professor of Physics at the Jawaharlal Nehru Center for Advanced Research, Bangalore, National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), Bangalore. He is also a member of the Upper House of the Indian Parliament. For a period of 9 years till 2003, Dr. Kasturirangan served as the Chairman of the Indian Space Program of the Indian Space Research Organisation. Under his chairmanship, many major milestones were achieved in the programme, including the successful launch and operationalization of India’s iconic launch vehicles, the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle and the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle. Additionally, he oversaw the development and launch of some of the world’s finest civil remote sensing satellites, IRS 1C and 1D, as well as the ocean observation satellites IRSP3/P4 and implementation of the new generation INSAT communication satellites. Due to these efforts, India has come into the category of the six most prestigious countries which have major space programs.[1]
Dr. Kasturirangan is a member of the International Academy of Astronomy and has served as its Vice President. He is a member of the International Astronomical Union and a Fellow of the Third World Academy of Sciences (TWS). He is a Fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences and served as its President during the year 2001–03. He is a Fellow of the Indian National Academy of Engineering and was its President during the year 2005-06. He was also the Principal President of the Indian Science Congress for the year 2002-03. Additionally, he is a Fellow of the Indian National Science Academy and the Indian National Science Academy. He is from Cardiff University, UK. Honorary Fellow of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, Academician of Vatican City and Trustee of the Nehru Trust of the University of Cambridge.[1]
He was the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras during the year 2000-05. At present he is the Chairman of the Council of the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. He is also the Chairman of the Governing Council of the Raman Research Institute, Indian Institute of Astronomy, Bangalore and the Aryabhata Research Institute for Observational Sciences, Nainital. Dr. K. Kasturirangan Member of the Upper House of the Indian Parliament, and of the Parliament. He was also a member of the Standing Committee on Energy and the Consultative Committee on Human Resource Development. Presently he is the Chairman, Karnataka Knowledge Commission; Member, Karnataka Vision 2020. He is the Chairman of the IndiaCyprus Parliamentary Friendship Group and a member of the IndiaChina Eminent Persons Group.[1]
As an astrophysicist, Dr. Kasturirangan’s interests include research in high energy X-ray and gamma-ray astronomy and optical astronomy. He has made extensive and important contributions to the study of cosmic X-ray and gamma-ray sources and the effects of cosmic X-rays in the lower atmosphere. Dr. Kasturirangan has published more than 244 papers in the fields of astronomy, space science and applications. He delivered 61 convocation speeches in various universities of the country and has also received the title of Honorary Doctor from 16 universities including Banaras Hindu University, Anna University, IIT Bombay, Calcutta University, Indira Gandhi National Open University, Mysore University and SRM University. He has given about 304 public and memorial speeches. In his recent important speeches, M.N. Saha Memorial Lecture of the National Academy of Sciences; J.C. Bose Memorial Lecture at the Royal Society of London; Third Darbari Seth Memorial Lecture, New Delhi; K.R. Narayanan Oration at the Australian National University, Canberra, 28th Vikram Sarabhai Memorial Lecture, Ahmedabad Management Association, Ahmedabad; Professor D.S.Kothari Memorial Lecture at Delhi University, Delhi; Karnataka Rajyotsava Extension Lecture, Institute of Social and Economic Change, Bangalore; First Memorial Lecture of Mr. Arthur C. Clarke, ACCIMT, Colombo. Most recently, he was one of four global figures to deliver the keynote address on ‘Potential of Space Technology to Serve Human Kind: Coming 50 Years’ at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris during the 50th anniversary celebrations of the launch of Sputnik, organized by the International Astronautical Federation and UNESCO. Was the one and only Asian.[1]
Under the leadership of Dr. Kasturirangan as Chairman of ISRO, the space programs achieved many major achievements including the launch of India’s iconic launch vehicle, the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and most recently, the highly significant Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV). )’s first successful flight test.[2]
