P. Radhakrishnan (scientist)

P. Radhakrishan (Nair, Paramaswaran Radhakrishnan)[1] — known sometimes as "Space Radhakrishnan" — is a veteran space scientist, author and speaker from India. He retired from the Indian Space Research Organisation as the Deputy Director of Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre.[2] Radhakrishnan was slated to travel to space in the STS-61-I (Challenger) mission in September 1986 as a Payload Specialist for INSAT-1C,[3] but the flight was cancelled after the Challenger disaster.[4] N.C.Bhat[5] from ISRO Satellite centre was the other Indian space scientist who was trained by NASA for the mission — the plan was to select one of these two for the mission.[6]

P. Radhakrishnan
Born (1943-10-10) 10 October 1943
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
NationalityIndian
EducationMaster of Science in Physics
Alma materUniversity of Kerala
OccupationScientist, Author, Speaker
Years active1966-present
EmployerGovernment of India
OrganizationIndian Space Research Organization
Notable work
A Brief History of Rocketry in ISRO

Early life

Born in Thiruvananthapuram in 1943, Radhakrishnan completed his Bachelor of Science in Physics and Mathematics from University College Thiruvananthapuram in 1963. In 1965 he completed his Master of Science in Physics from the same college.[7]

Career

Radhakrishnan joined the Indian Space Research Organization in 1966 and was involved in the development of India's early satellites like Aryabhata, Rohini and APPLE, and later the Insat satellites. He was part of the Programme Planning & Evaluation Group at VSSC, and later became the Group Director of the Electronics Division. During the 1984–1986 period — as part of the evaluation to be a Payload Specialist in the STS-61-I (Challenger) mission — he went through extensive tests and training at the Institute of Aviation Medicine, Bangalore and the Johnson Space Center.[8] He retired from ISRO's LPSC as the center's Deputy Director for Systems Reliability & Quality Assurance.[9][10]

References
  1. "Nair". www.astronautix.com. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  2. "KSCSTE Science Festival at Kanakakkunnu from Tomorrow". Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  3. "Spaceline: The Challenger Legacy". www.spaceline.org. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
  4. "Astronauts P. Radhakrishnan and N.C. Bhat get mentally, physically prepared for space trip". Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  5. "Bhat". www.astronautix.com. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  6. "Training for the skies". www.frontline.in. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  7. Becker, Joachim. "Astronaut Biography: Radhakrishnan Nair". www.spacefacts.de. Retrieved 31 August 2016.
  8. "A Touch of Heroism". www.godrejappliances.com. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
  9. "Nair Paramaswaren Radhakrishnan". www.astronaut.ru. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
  10. Harvey, Brian; Smid, Henk H. F.; Pirard, Theo (30 January 2011). Emerging Space Powers: The New Space Programs of Asia, the Middle East and South-America. Springer Science & Business Media. ISBN 9781441908742.
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