Indian Space Research Organisation Chairman K Radhakrishnan retired on 31st December 2014.
Indian space scientists bid a ‘sombre’ farewell describing Radhakrishnan an “iconic leader” as his exit left the space agency at what ISRO on its Facebook called “at its most glorified pedestal ever.”
India’s Mars Orbiter, currently orbiting the red planet, tweeted it’s farewell. The tenure of Radhakrishnan as ISRO chief, Secretary, Department of Space and Chairman, Space Commission was extended by four months in August this year till December 31, 2014 on “functional grounds and in public interest.”
Radhakrishnan, a recipient of Padma- Bhushan, the third highest civilian award, was recently chosen as one of the top ten scientific personalities in 2014 by Nature Science Journal.
After completing his graduation in Electrical Engineering from Kerala University, he joined Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in 1972 and rose through the ranks, in brisk space.
Radhakrishnan was handpicked by Prof. Satish Dhawan – the then Chairman of ISRO, to control and monitor the Budget and Economic Analysis activities at the ISRO headquarters.
He never looked back since then and the acme of his achievement was the “Mangalyaan” mission to the red planet