Chennai: The Appointments Committee of the Union Cabinet has formalised the appointment of G Madhavan Nair as secretary, Department of Space, chairman, Space Commission and chairman, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

Nair, as director, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram, was holding the additional charge of these posts since 1 September 2003 after Dr K Kasturirangan relinquished the office consequent to the Indian president nominating him as Rajya Sabha member.

A leading rocket scientist, Nair's contribution to the development of multistage satellite launch vehicles is immense. As director, VSSC, he has led research and development in the area of satellite launch vehicles (SLV) for orbiting spacecraft for remote sensing and communications starting from the country's first launch vehicle, SLV-3.

A 1966 engineering graduate from Kerala University, Nair underwent training at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai, and joined Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) in 1967. Since then, he has held various positions, posting illustrious milestones on his way to the present position.

As project director, he brought to fruition the development of India's first operational launch vehicle, the polar satellite launch vehicle (PSLV). With six successful launches so far, PSLV has convincingly demonstrated its reliability for not only launching multiple satellites, including placing them in different orbits in a single launch, but also its capability to place satellites in the geo-synchronous transfer orbit (GTO).

PSLV is also proposed for launching India's unmanned lunar craft under Chandrayaan-1 mission. Nair also contributed to the indigenous development of cryogenic technology and as director, Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre, during 1995-99, he gave a concrete shape for the vital infrastructure for its development.

The year 1999 saw Nair assuming the mantle at VSSC and in the following two years he led the successful flight of geo-synchronous satellite launch vehicle (GSLV). After the successful launch of two developmental flights, GSLV has been commissioned into operational service for launching 2,000kg satellites into GTO.

Nair has been the leader of the Indian delegation to the UN Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UN-Copous). He has received several awards including Shri Om Prakash Bhasin Award, Swadeshi Sastra Puraskar Award, FIE Foundation Award and Vikram Sarabhai Memorial Gold Medal of ISCA. He was conferred Padma Bhushan by the Indian president in 1998.

Dr B N Suresh, an expert in control and guidance systems, has been appointed as the new director of VSSC.