Dr. Krishnaswamy Kasturirangan (1940-2025)
Distinguished space scientist Dr. K. Kasturirangan passed away.
Key Contributions
- Space: Served as Chairman of ISRO (1994–2003), under his leadership, key space missions were materialised, including:
- Operationalization of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and the first successful Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV)flight.
- Earth observation satellites like BHASKARA-I & II, etc.
- Conceptualising India’s first space-based high-energy astronomy observatory, “AstroSat’.
- Education: He chaired the Committee on Draft National Education Policy (2019).
- Environment: He led a 10-member High-Level Working Group for preparing a report on the ecologically sensitive Western Ghats.
- The report proposed to identify 37 per cent of the Western Ghats as environmentally sensitive.
Values
Visionary leadership, public service, etc.