SDSC-SHAR chief Kunhikrishnan appointed U R Rao Satellite Centre's director

URSC is the lead centre for building satellites and developing associated technologies

P Kunhikrishnan, director of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR (SDSC-SHAR), has been appointed as the director of the U R Rao Satellite Centre (URSC). He will take over from M Annadurai, who retired on July 31, 2018. Kunhikrishnan will be reporting to Indian Space Research Organisation's (Isro's) chairman.   

Located in Bengaluru, the URSC, which was formerly known as the ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC), is the lead centre for building satellites and developing associated satellite technologies. These spacecraft are used for providing applications to various users in the areas of communication, navigation, meteorology, remote sensing, space science and interplanetary explorations. The centre is also pursuing advanced technologies for future missions. 

Located in Sriharikota, the SDSC SHAR, which is the 'Spaceport of India', is one of the lead centres of ISRO, Department of Space (DOS), Government of India.  

The centre provides launch base infrastructure for national and international customers for accomplishing diverse launch vehicle/satellite missions for remote sensing, communication, navigation and scientific purposes.  

The space centre, which was popularly known as SHAR (Sriharikota Range), was renamed as Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR on September 5, 2002, in fond memory of Satish Dhawan, the former chairman of ISRO.