THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Dr S Unnikrishnan Nair has been appointed as the new director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC). He will be replacing S Somanath, who has taken over as chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro).
Unnikrishnan Nair is currently the director of the Human Space Flight Centre. He will continue to hold this charge too. A native of Kothanalloor, Kottayam, Unnikrishnan Nair is a B.Tech (Mechanical Engg) from Kerala University. He has also acquired M.E (Aerospace Engg) from IISc, Bangalore and is a PhD holder of IIT Madras, Chennai.
He joined VSSC in 1985 and has held many important positions in an illustrious career, including first project director, Human Space Flight Project, deputy director, VSSC (Structures) and programme director, Advanced Space Transportation System.
He was the member-secretary of two IAA study groups and has headed the delegation to Russia for the India-Russia space cooperation in the human space flight programme, which resulted in signing contracts in key areas.
He has won many awards and accolades, including Isro team excellence award for contributions to space capsule re-entry experiment in 2007, Isro excellence award as team leader for CARE in 2014, Isro individual merit award in 2014 for contributions towards technology development towards manned space mission, Isro excellence award as team leader for crew escape system pad abort test in 2018 and an honorary doctorate from Sathyabama University in 2019 for outstanding contributions towards human space flight activities.
His wife Jaya G Nair is a former computer engineer of VSSC. He has two daughters, Aishwarya Nair, an engineer and Chaithanya Nair, a degree student. TNN
