Former ISRO Chairman K Kasturirangan died at his residence in Bengaluru on Friday. He was 84. In a statement, ISRO said that Kasturirangan passed away at 10:43 AM. His mortal remains will be kept at the Raman Research Institute in Bengaluru on Sunday, April 27, from 10 AM to noon, to enable the public to pay their last respects.
Kasturirangan was chairman of ISRO, Space Commission, and the Department of Space for more than nine years until he relinquished his role on August 27, 2003.
Achievements in Education and Space Research
He is famous for his instrumental contribution to India’s National Education Policy (NEP). Kasturirangan was also the Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University and Chairman of the Karnataka Knowledge Commission. He was a member of the Rajya Sabha from 2003 to 2009 and worked with the Planning Commission of India.
His career at ISRO witnessed major milestones in the space exploits of India. Kasturirangan was the Director of the ISRO Satellite Centre during which time he contributed to the development of key projects like INSAT-2, IRS-1A/1B, and other scientific satellites.
As Project Director for India’s first earth observation satellites, Bhaskara I and II, he directed the major launches, including PSLV and GSLV programmes.
Recognition and Legacy
Kasturirangan’s achievements in science and space exploration were honored with the Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Vibhushan awards, the country’s highest civilian awards.
Trained as an astrophysicist, Kasturirangan contributed notably to high-energy X-ray and gamma-ray astronomy. His work concerned cosmic X-ray sources, celestial gamma rays, and their effect on Earth’s atmosphere.
His passing is the loss of a visionary who played a part in shaping India’s educational and space landscape.
