ISRO Chief K Sivan retires: Celebrating the legacy of the 'Rocket Man'
After having a glorious career for 40 years, ISRO Chief K Sivan retired from the Indian space agency on 14th January 2022. Popularly known as India’s ‘Rocket Man,’ Kailasavadivoo Sivan has been an inspiration to millions of youngsters who dream of joining the Indian Space Research Organisation and accomplish a career in space technology. In fact, it is believed that it was Sivan’s leadership that made India achieve a global recognition in the field of space technology. Explore the legacy he is leaving behind.
Life and Works of K Sivan
K Sivan was born on 14th April 1957 in Tamil Nadu in a poor farmer’s family. However, this child prodigy overcame all societal obstacles and secured B.Sc. in Mathematics in 1977 from Madurai University followed by B. Tech in Aeronautics from the Madras Institute of Technology in 1980. In 1982, Sivan had achieved an ME degree in Aerospace from IISC Bengaluru, and had joined ISRO the same year as a junior space scientist. While working in ISRO, Sivan managed to complete his PhD in Aerospace in 2007 from IIT Bombay.
Sivan had joined ISRO in 1982. However, it was 36 years later on 15th January 2018 that he became the ISRO Chief succeeding AS Kiran Kumar. Four years after this, it was time for him to say goodbye and pass on the reins to S Somnath. Before being appointed as the ISRO Chief from 2018 to 2022, Sivan was also the Vice Chairman of the ISRO Council from 2016 to 2017.
Apart from being the Vice Chairman and Chief of ISRO and Project directors of several ISRO missions, Sivan also held significant positions in agencies like Liquid Propulsions Systems Centre (Director, 2014-2015), Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (Director, 2015-2017) and Member of Space Commission (2016-2017). He is also the recipient of the prestigious Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Award, 2019 among other notable awards.
Milestones achieved by ISRO under K Sivan
In 2016, under the leadership of K Sivan, ISRO was able to launch the first ever made-in-India navigation system NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation), that is similar to the US made the GPS system. In fact, since 2020, this futuristic indigenous navigation system has been available in smartphones for public use.
Sivan is also responsible for 4 successful launches of GSLV Mk II (Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark II), the largest operational launch vehicles in India. They are designed, developed and operated by ISRO to launch satellites and other space objects into the Lower Earth Orbit (LEO). In fact, he was the Project Director during these missions.
K Sivan was the Chief architect of ISRO’s Space Transportation programme from 2016 to 2021. Under his leadership, ISRO was also able to mark the successful flight test of SCRAMJET engine that is said to efficiently influence the functioning of hypersonic speeds and supersonic combustion during the ISRO’s several space missions.
As the Project Director of RLV-TD (Reusable Launch Vehicle Technology Demonstration), Sivan was also responsible for its successful launch and has made significant contributions in its vehicle design, control and guidance, mission management strategies and flight demonstration. In addition to this, he has led various projects for the development, planning, performance and reliability of other launch vehicle missions of ISRO. In fact, it was under his guidance that the ‘Day of Launch’ was developed. It happens to be the first ever wind biasing strategy (a custom-made strategy to launch any spacecraft in any kind of weather conditions) that ensures successful launch even during bad weather.
Sivan’s cost-effective strategy made Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) launch a grand success. He was also the chief mission architect when ISRO successfully launched as many as 104 constellation satellites during a single mission. As part of ISRO’s launch vehicle programme, K Sivan has also established the Mission Synthesis and Simulation Facility, Parallel Computing Facility and Hypersonic Wind Tunnel Facility.
Apart from space technology, Sivan has largely contributed to the development of healthcare sector resources like advanced microprocessor artificial limb and artificial heart pump called Left Ventricle Assist Device.