On completion of the prestigious post-graduate management course at IIM-Bangalore in 1976, a young avionics engineer, unlike his batchmates, resisted the lure of the corporate world. K Radhakrishnan, who was at the time on a sabbatical from ISRO, had the farsightedness to realise that space would open infinitely challenging opportunities compared to the corporate cubicle in the years to come. Three decades later, his decision stands vindicated.

Radhakrishnan, 60, has been selected to head the Indian Space Research Organisation at a time that the agency is shouldering pretty challenging tasks, including the manned space mission and Chandrayaan-II. Radhakrishnan, currently the director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC),Thiruvananthapuram, will take over as ISRO Chairman on October 31. “The new assignment was expected,” he told The Indian Express.

Radhakrishnan has been closely associated with key ISRO projects in recent years, including last year’s Chandrayaan-I. During the live telecast of the recent flights, the nation saw him as the second-in command of the ISRO team led by Madhavan Nair. Being the head of the the VSSC, the research and development centre of the ISRO, Radhakrishnan was the prime force behind the design and development of the rocket used to launch Chandrayaan-I. “The immediate task would be the launch of GSLV-D3. Besides, application of the Indian-built cryogenic stage on the polar satellite launch vehicle would be on top of the agenda,” he said, adding that the manned space mission, another challenge, is expected to materialise in the next seven years.

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