Klein Lecture in Aerospace

This series of lectures is given in memory of Professor Arthur Louis "Maj" Klein (1898-1983), a faculty member of GALCIT from 1929 until his death. In addition to his significant contributions as a teacher of aeronautical engineering, Klein was responsible for the engineering and building of the GALCIT 10-foot wind tunnel and made significant contributions to aircraft design.

Date: October 4, 2018, 11:00 AM
Location: Lees-Kubota Lecture Hall
Speaker: Dr. K. Sivan, Chairman of Indian Space Research Organization, Secretary, Department of Space of Government of India, and Chairman of the Space Commission

Indian Space Program: Recent Achievements & Future Plans

Dr. K. Sivan will share his thoughts on the activities of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in: contributing to national requirements in the areas of earth observation, communication, navigation and space science; accessing space independently; building capabilities to harness the benefits of space technology; and in pursuing India's human spaceflight program ‘Gaganyaan.' ISRO is working closely with industry and academia to develop the space technology capabilities and with central/state government ministries and departments in delivering the space based products and services to general public.

Dr. K. Sivan

Chairman of Indian Space Research Organization, Secretary,Department of Space of Government of India, and Chairman of the Space Commission

Born on April 14, 1957 in Sarakkalvilai, Nagercoil in Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu and hailing from a humble family background, Dr. K. Sivan is the Secretary, Department of Space / Chairman, Space Commission & Indian Space Research Organisation since January 15, 2018. After obtaining Mathematics Honours degree from Hindu College, Nagercoil, Dr. K. Sivan graduated from Madras Institute of Technology in aeronautical engineering in 1980. He took his ME in aerospace engineering from IISc, Bangalore in 1982. Subsequently, he completed his PhD in aerospace engineering from IIT, Bombay in 2006. He joined ISRO in 1982 in PSLV Project. Since then he has significant contribution in PSLV, GSLV and GSLV Mk-III Vehicle design. He has more than 30 years experience in the systems engineering of space transportation system, leading diverse project teams for large and complex projects and experience in technology development and infrastructure set-up for ISRO's launch vehicle programs.

Dr. K. Sivan is a Fellow of Indian National Academy of Engineering (INAE), Aeronautical Society of India (AeSI), Systems Society of India (SSI) and Indian Systems Society for Science and Engineering (ISSE). He has received numerous awards in recognition of his contributions. Some of the major awards are Lokmanya Tilak Award-2018 from Lokmanya Tilak Smarak Trust, Pune. ISRO award for outstanding achievement for the year 2016, Shri Hari Om Ashram Prerit Dr. Vikram Sarabhai Research award for the year 1999, ISRO merit award for the year 2007, Dr. Biren Roy Space science award for the year 2011, The Distinguished Alumnus Award 2013 from MIT Alumni Association, Chennai and The Distinguished Alumnus Award 2017 from IIT-B, Mumbai. Besides this, he has been conferred with Honaris Causa from many prestigious universities.