Dr. Koppillil Radhakrishnan (Padma Bhushan awardee 2014) is a distinguished space engineer, a versatile technocrat, an astute institution builder, and a diligent administrator. He started his career at ISRO as an Avionics Engineer in 1971, and evolved with several decisive roles at ISRO and a short stint in oceanic realm, to head National Remote Sensing Agency (2005-2007) and Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (2007-2009). He headed the national space program during 2009-2014 as Chairman of Space Commission, Secretary of the Department of Space and Chairman of ISRO. Furthermore, he is known for strong and successful leadership to execute 35 space missions besides steering India’s Mars Orbiter Mission aka Mangalyaan (of 2014) from concept to fruition thus establishing India as the first country to have successful mission to Planet Mars in its maiden attempt. The Nature International Weekly Journal of Science chose him as one of the ‘Ten people who mattered in the year 2014’. Penguin India Random House published his biography “My Odyssey: Memoirs of the Man behind the Mangalyaan Mission” in 2016.
A distinguished alumnus of IIM Bangalore and IIT Kharagpur, he is a Distinguished Fellow of Astronautical Society of India, elected Academician-Member of the International Academy of Astronautics, Fellow of Indian National Academy of Engineering, Fellow of National Academy of Sciences, Honorary Life Fellow of the Institution of Engineers, and Honorary Fellow of IETE. He is recipient of 12 Honorary Doctorates and 50 awards and honours including Lifetime Achievement Awards from ISRO, and Ernst & Young, and Allan D. Emil Memorial Award of International Astronautical Federation.
Dr. Radhakrishnan continues to contribute nationally in the realm of space program, national security, science & technology, and higher education shouldering several decisive honorary positions.