Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman K. Radhakrishnan retired on Wednesday. Shailesh Nayak, who is Secretary, Union Earth Sciences Ministry, will hold additional and interim charge as Chairman for a month or until a regular chief is named, said an order by the Secretary, Appointments’ Committee of the Union Cabinet.
Dr. Radhakrishnan led ISRO in many achievements over the past five years after he took over the reins in November 2009. The historic Mars Orbiter Mission was launched and guided to an orbit around the red planet under his leadership. The partial experimental sub-orbital flight of the GSLV Mark-III heavy-lift launch vehicle was another success. The early part of his chairmanship was marred by the Antrix-Devas S-band satellite controversy and the cancellation of that deal in February 2011.
Dr. Radhakrishnan took over from G. Madhavan Nair in October 2009 as the seventh chief of the space establishment. He made a brief farewell speech to the 16,000-strong ISRO around 3.30 p.m.
No stranger to the Department of Space, Dr. Nayak actually began his career at ISRO in 1978. A geology and remote sensing expert, he worked at the Space Applications Centre, Ahmedabad, until 2008, when he moved to head the Earth Sciences Ministry.
