A Rajarajan is an Indian scientist. He is the director of Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR (SDSC SHAR), Sriharikota and Launch Authorisation Board (LAB) chief. He is one of the 5 key scientists who were behind the success of India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission in 2023.
Contents
Wiki/Biography
Arumugham Rajarajan [1]LinkedIn – Rajarajan Arumugham was born in India. He holds a BE degree in mechanical engineering. [2]Satish Dhawan Space Centre
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 10″
Hair Colour: Salt & Pepper
Eye Colour: Black
Family
There is not much information about his family.
Career
Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC)
Scientist
He is considered an expert in the field of composites. He has written many national and international papers in the area of composites. During his initial days at SDSC, he joined VSSC’s Fiber Reinforced Plastic division. He played a key role in various capacities in the development of numerous crucial composite products. His efforts have paved the way for the advancement of Composite Technology in Indian Industries, particularly for space programs.
Deputy Director
After the failure of the PSLV C39 mission because of anomalous behaviour in the payload fairing separation system, he was appointed as the deputy director of the Propulsion and Space Ordinance Entity (PRSO) in 2017. He led the team by overseeing a systematic review to address issues and enhance the ordnance system production methods and procedures to improve the overall reliability of the system. He also worked on refining the analytical methods for various systems. These efforts resulted in the development of a more reliable pyro separation system configuration for the payload fairing. This new configuration was successfully demonstrated in subsequent launches. During his tenure as deputy director of the composites entity, he led the development of a diverse range of composite products such as solar panel substrates, different types of antennas, a sizable Ogive payload fairing measuring 5 meters in diameter and 10.7 meters in height, an intertank structure, and others. He has worked on many innovative technologies for developing composites for satellites and launch vehicle sub-systems. He also held the responsibilities of many VSSC entities from time to time including the Propulsion and Space Ordinance Entity (PRSO), Aero Space Ordnance Entity (ASOE), Composites Entity (CMSE), and Structures Entity (STR).
Director
In July 2019, he was appointed as the director of SDSC. As the Director of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, he is responsible for achieving the successful production of solid motors and enhancing launch complex infrastructure to cater to ISRO’s growing launch requirements, which encompass a wide range of missions, including those related to the Human Space Programme (Gaganyaan) and the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV). Under his leadership, significant improvements have been made in configuring and developing cutting-edge facilities for the production of Solid Motors and the integration of launch vehicles, which enabled the streamlined production, integration, and launch of ISRO’s Satellite Launch Vehicles in a remarkably short timeframe. He actively engages in bringing various industries on board as partners of ISRO for the development of essential technologies. He has made significant contributions to several Indian planetary missions of ISRO, including the Chandrayaan-1 and Chandrayaan-2 missions, which confirmed the presence of water molecules on the moon.
Awards
- 2010: ISRO Team Excellence Award
- 2011: ISRO Team Excellence Award
- 2015: ISRO Team Excellence Award
- 2015: ISRO Merit Award
Facts/Trivia
- In November 2022, Rajarajan was invited as a guest speaker at BITS Hyderabad.
- He is recognized for being a prominent speaker, often delivering invited and plenary talks at numerous conferences, focusing on the advanced technological applications of composites.
References
