Aluru Seelin Kiran Kumar is an Indian Space Scientist and the Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation having assumed office on 12 January 2015.

In 2014, he was awarded the Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian award, for his contributions to the fields of science and technology.

He is credited with the development of key scientific instruments aboard the Chandrayaan-1 and Mangalyaan space crafts. He previously served as Director of Ahmedabad Space Applications Centre.

He has received many awards and honors, starting with the Indian Society of Remote Sensing Award in 1994. In 1998, he received the Vasvik award, followed by the Astronautical Society of India Award in 2001.

The Indian Space Research Organization honoured Kumar with the Individual Service award in 2006 and the Bhaskara Award of the Indian Society of Remote Sensing came his way in 2007.

In 2008, he got the Team Achievement Award 2008 of International Academy of Astronautics and the ISRO Performance Award from the Indian Space Research Organization.

He has been conferred with the fellowship by the National Academy of Engineers and is a corresponding member of the International Academy of Astronautics.

The Government of India honored him with the Padma Shri by including him in the 2014 Republic Day Honours. He was awarded the Honorary Doctorate Degree from SRM University on March 24, 2015.

ISRO Chairmen

Name Term start Term end Term length

Vikram Sarabhai 1963 1972 Nine years

M. G. K. Menon January 1972 September 1972 Nine months

Dr. Satish Dhawan 1972 1984 Twelve years

Prof. U R Rao 1984 1994 Ten years

Dr. K. Kasturirangan 1994 27 August 2003 Nine years

G. Madhavan Nair September 2003 29 October 2009 Six years

K._Radhakrishnan_ 30 October 2009 31 December 2014 Five years

Shailesh Nayak 1 January 2015 12 January 2015 12 days

A. S. Kiran Kumar 12 January 2015 Incumbent -