P. Kunhikrishnan

Last updated

P. Kunhikrishnan
Born (1961-05-30) 30 May 1961 (age 63) [1]
Payyanur, Kannur, Kerala, India
NationalityIndian
Alma mater College of Engineering Trivandrum
OccupationScientist
Years active1986–present
Notes
Former Director, URSC,
Former Director, SDSC-SHAR and
Former Mission Director, PSLV

P. Kunhikrishnan (born 30 May 1961) is a Space Scientist from India. Currently, he is a Distinguished Scientist (Apex Scale) [2] & Former Director [3] of U.R.Rao Satellite Centre (URSC), in Bengaluru, India. He was a member of Space Commission, Government of India [4]

Contents

Education

Kunhikrishnan completed his Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Payyanur College in 1981 [5] [6] and later completed BTech in Electronics & Communication Engineering from College of Engineering(CET), Trivandrum in 1986. [3] [7]

Career

Kunhikrishnan joined Indian Space Research Organisation in 1986 after graduating from College of Engineering, Trivandrum(CET). He was part of Systems Reliability Entity at Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) and contributed to various launch vehicle missions starting from ASLV-D1.

He was Associate Project Director for PSLV-C12 & PSLV-C14, Project Director of PSLV-C15 to PSLV-C27 (from the year 2010 to 2015) and Deputy Director of VSSC for Mechanisms, Vehicle Integration and Testing (MVIT).

As a Project Director, he could accomplish 13 consecutive successful PSLV missions including the launch of India's prestigious Mars Orbiter Mission(Mangalyaan) by PSLV-C25. [3]

In 2015, he took over as the Director of Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, [8] the Spaceport of India. As Director, during 2015-2018, he was instrumental in transforming the Spaceport of India into a world-class facility by establishing & initiating huge infrastructure to support multiple launches per year, catering to the futuristic demand.

The 'Visitors Complex' at Sriharikota, that enables 10,000 visitors to witness satellite launches, was conceived and initiated by him during this period.

In 2018, he took over as the Director of U.R.Rao Satellite Centre (URSC), Bengaluru, [9] the lead Centre in the country for design, development and realization of all the satellites of ISRO. As Director of URSC, he was steering the Centre in realising India’s Satellites for national requirements and their operationalization in respective orbits. [4]   13 satellites were launched under his leadership.

He was the Chairman of Working Group of the Whole (WGW) of United Nations Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer space (UNCOPUOS) headquartered at Vienna. [4]

He is the National President of Indian Society of Systems for Science and Engineering (ISSE). [4]

He is a member of Space Commission, Government of India since Feb, 2020. [4]

Personal life

Kunhikrishnan was born on 30 May 1961 in Payyanur, Kerala as the son of (Late) A K P Chinda Poduval and P Narayani Amma. [7] His wife, Girija is an engineer at Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC).His sons are Navaneeth Krishnan and Aravind Krishnan.

Kunhikrishnan is also a trained Indian classical flautist. [10]


Awards and honors [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Satish Dhawan Space Centre</span> Spaceport in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, India

Satish Dhawan Space Centre – SDSC, is the primary spaceport of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), located in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mylswamy Annadurai</span> Indian scientist (born 1958)

Mylswamy Annadurai is an Indian scientist working as vice president for Tamil Nadu State Council for Science and Technology, Chairman, Board of Governors, National Design and Research Forum. He is often dubbed as the "Moon Man of India".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">G. Madhavan Nair</span> Indian aerospace engineer

G. Madhavan Nair is an Indian space scientist and a former chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation, and Secretary to the Department of Space, Government of India. His tenure saw commencement of Indian Human Spaceflight Programme and launch of extraterrestrial exploration mission Chandrayaan-I.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">S. K. Shivakumar</span> Indian scientist (1953–2019)

Dr. S. K. Shivakumar was an Indian Distinguished Scientist from Karnataka state who worked at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) centres. He was awarded the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award of India, in 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chairperson of the Indian Space Research Organisation</span> Indian government official

The chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation is the statutory head of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). The officeholder is a secretary to the Government of India and an executive of the Department of Space (DOS) which directly reports to the prime minister of India.

Parivakkam Subramaniam Veeraraghavan is a well known space scientist and rocket technologist of India. He has served as the Director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala and as the Director of ISRO Inertial Systems Unit (IISU), Thiruvananthapuram. One of the most senior scientists at Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), Veeraraghavan is known for his contributions to launch vehicle technology, especially in the areas of integration & checkout and Inertial Systems of ISROs launch vehicles. Presently, he is holding the honorary position of Prof. Vikram Sarabhai Distinguished Professor in VSSC, ISRO since January 2013.

M.Y.S. Prasad is an Indian scientist and the former director of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre Sriharikota Range (SDSC-SHAR). Govt. of India’s Civilian Award Padma Shri for the year 2014 for his distinguished service in Science and Technology.

IRNSS-1E is the fifth out of seven in the Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System (IRNSS) series of satellites after IRNSS-1A, IRNSS-1B, IRNSS-1C and IRNSS-1D. It is one among the seven of the IRNSS constellation of satellites launched to provide navigational services to the region. The satellite was placed in geosynchronous orbit. IRNSS-1E has been successfully launched into orbit on 20 January 2016

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madhavan Chandradathan</span> Indian space scientist

M. C. Dathan is an Indian space scientist and former director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC). The Government of India honoured him, in 2014, by awarding him the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award, for his contributions to the fields of science and technology. In May 2016, the Government of Kerala appointed MC Dathan as the scientific advisor to chief minister.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">IRNSS-1G</span>

IRNSS-1G was the seventh and final of the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) series of satellites after IRNSS-1A, IRNSS-1B, IRNSS-1C, IRNSS-1D, IRNSS-1E and IRNSS-1F. This system of satellites will provide navigational services to the Indian region. The satellite was launched successfully on 28 April 2016 at 07:20 UTC.

Madhavan Pillai Ramakrishna Kurup was an Indian rocket scientist and the founder of the first solid rocket propellant plant in India at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre. He is known to have contributed to the successful launching of the Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle (ASLV) as the director of the VSSC centre in Thiruvananthapuram. The Government of India awarded him the fourth highest civilian award of Padma Shri in 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dhruva Space</span> Indian aerospace company

Dhruva Space Private Limited is an Indian private aerospace manufacturer headquartered in Hyderabad, Telangana. Founded in 2012 by Sanjay Srikanth Nekkanti, the company is engaged in the development of small satellites in the commercial, governmental and academic markets. It provides full-stack space-engineering solutions across launch, space and ground segments – namely, the building, launching and operation of satellites.

Suryanarayanan Srinivasan (1941–1999) was an Indian aeronautical engineer and the Director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), known for his pioneering work in rocket science. He also served as the director of Satish Dhawan Space Centre and assisted A. P. J. Abdul Kalam in the SLV3 Mission as its deputy director. He was an elected Fellow of the Aeronautical Society of India and the Indian National Academy of Engineering. The Government of India awarded him the third highest civilian honour of the Padma Bhushan, in 2000, for his contributions to Indian space program.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Small Satellite Launch Vehicle</span> Indian small-lift launch vehicle

The Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) is a small-lift launch vehicle developed by ISRO to deliver 500 kg (1,100 lb) payload to low Earth orbit or 300 kg (660 lb) payload to Sun-synchronous orbit. The rocket supports multi-orbital drop-offs capability for small satellites.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PSLV-C42</span> 44th mission of the Indian Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle program

PSLV-C42 was the 44th mission of the Indian Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) program and its 12th mission in the Core Alone (CA) configuration. PSLV-C42 successfully carried and deployed 2 Earth observation satellites in Sun-synchronous orbits at an altitude of 588 kilometres (365 mi). It was launched on 16 September 2018 by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) from the first launch pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. The two international satellites were launched as part of a commercial arrangement between Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL) and ISRO's commercial arm Antrix Corporation Limited, run under the auspices of the Indian Government's Department of Space.

The U R Rao Satellite Centre (URSC), formerly ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC) (Hindi: इसरो उपग्रह केंद्र) is an ISRO centre for the design, development, and construction of Indian satellites. It was established in 1972 as Indian Scientific Satellite Project (ISSP) in Peenya Industrial Estates of Bangalore. ISAC was renamed as U. R. Rao Satellite Centre (URSC) after the former ISRO Chairman and ISAC founding director Dr. Udupi Ramachandra Rao with effect from 2 April 2018. URSC is situated in Vimanapura Post.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Subha Varier</span> Indian space engineer

Subha Varier is an Indian space engineer. She has specialised in the video systems used on Indian satellite launches. In 2017 she received the Nari Shakti Puraskar, India's highest award for women after the record release of 104 satellites in one launch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PSLV-C58</span> Indian space flight

The PSLV C-58 was the 60th flight of the Indian Space Research Organisation's Polar Satellite launch Vehicle. It carried the XPoSAT mission along with rideshare payloads.

References

  1. ↑ "SREE NARAYANA CENTRAL SCHOOL - BEST CBSE SCHOOL IN KOLLAM | KERALA | INDIA". www.sncsnedungolam.org. Retrieved 18 September 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 "Shri P. Kunhikrishnan". www.ursc.gov.in. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Shri P. Kunhikrishnan". www.isac.gov.in. Retrieved 18 September 2018.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "Shri P. Kunhikrishnan". www.ursc.gov.in. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
  5. ↑ "Payyanur College | Mathematics". www.payyanurcollege.ac.in. Retrieved 18 September 2018.
  6. ↑ "11-11-2014, DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS". Payyanur College Webpage.
  7. 1 2 Incredible Journey of Indian Space Programme - My perspective | P. Kunhikrishnan | TEDxIIMCalcutta, 12 February 2021, retrieved 3 April 2021
  8. ↑ "Kunhikrishnan appointed SDSC Director". The Hindu. 31 May 2015. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 18 September 2018.
  9. ↑ Reporter, B. S. (31 July 2018). "SDSC-SHAR chief Kunhikrishnan appointed U R Rao Satellite Centre's director". Business Standard India. Retrieved 18 September 2018.
  10. ↑ "Senior Isro official ends meeting with Parliamentary Standing Committee by playing flute. Viral video". India Today. 30 December 2019.
  11. ↑ "Institution of Engineers(India) TN Centre bulletin - Volume-19, Number 13 dated October 2020, Page 2" (PDF). IET Bulletin.
  12. ↑ "Shri P. Kunhikrishnan". www.ursc.gov.in. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
  13. ↑ Bhatt, Gaurav (18 March 2021). "The First Convocation Of The LNCT University Took Place On Tuesday 16th March 2021 | LNCT Group". LNCT Group of Colleges (LNCT) | Bhopal. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
  14. ↑ "GITAM DISTINCTIONS, GITAM NEWS, Volume 2, Issue 4, 4 October - December 2019, Page 3" (PDF). GITAM NEWS.
  15. ↑ "Honoris-causa". www.jntua.ac.in.
  16. 1 2 "www.unoosa.org" (PDF).
  17. ↑ "Chouhan presents space centre director with vigyan pratibha samman". Dailypioneer.
  18. ↑ "iaaspace.org".
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.