S. Unnikrishnan Nair (ISRO) Wiki, Age, Wife, Children, Family, Biography & More

S. Unnikrishnan Nair is an Indian Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) scientist who is the director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC). He played a pivotal role in the design and development of indigenous rocket technology and has held leadership roles in conducting various experiments regarding the Gaganyaan mission (aimed at taking Indian astronauts into space) for which he has received numerous accolades from ISRO. He is the founder of the Bengaluru-based Human Space Flight Centre. He was also involved in the Chandrayaan-3 mission, which made a successful landing on the moon in August 2023.

Wiki/Biography

S. Unnikrishnan Nair was born in Kottayam, Kerala, India. He did his schooling at NSS High School in Manjoor, Kerala, and Emmanuel’s Higher Secondary School in Kothanalloor, Kerala. In 1978, he enrolled at the Deva Matha College in Kuravilangad, Kerala. Thereafter, he enrolled at Mar Athanasius College of Engineering, affiliated with Kerala University, where he pursued a bachelor’s degree in engineering in mechanical engineering. Thereafter, he joined the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru, Karnataka, where he earned a master’s degree in engineering in aerospace, aeronautical, and astronautical engineering in 1995. He did his PhD in Mechanical Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM). He holds an MA in Telecommunications and Space Law from the National Academy of Legal Studies and Research (NALSAR), situated in Hyderabad. He has also done numerous engineering courses abroad. In an interview, Unnikrishnan said that he had no intentions of becoming a scientist in ISRO and after completing graduation, he had applied for jobs in various advertising companies. Talking about it, he said,

So when it was the last semester, I started applying for jobs in advertising companies where I saw the same as others. So applied to VSSC and an interview was held. By the time the final semester was over, he started working here. After coming here I liked this area and decided to stay here.”

Physical Appearance

Height (approx.): 5′ 8″

Hair Colour: Black

Eye Colour: Dark Brown

Family

Parents & Siblings

His father, Sreedharan Nair, served as an employee at the Kottayam Survey Office. His mother’s name is Rajamma.

Wife & Children

His wife, Jaya G. Nair, served as a computer engineer at VSSC. She has also served at the National Center for Software Technology (NCST). The couple has two daughters, Aishwarya Nair, who is an architect, and Chaithanya Nair, who holds a degree in psychology. Chaithanya is a model and actress, and she appeared in a small role in the 2022 Malayalam film Jana Gana Mana.

Career

S. Unnikrishnan Nair started working as an engineer at Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) in Trivandrum in 1985. There, he played an essential role in the design and development of the launch vehicle mechanisms, acoustic protection systems, and payload fairing for the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV), and Launch Vehicle Mark-III (LVM3). Thereafter, he worked on numerous projects aimed at developing a system for monitoring the performance of a rocket after its launch. He has held the position of Programme Director of the Advanced Space Transportation System program, which is an integrated program established to coordinate different technological advancements in areas such as human space flight, reusable launch vehicles, air-breathing propulsion, and advanced test vehicles. He has also served as the Deputy Director of the Structures Entity at VSSC. In 2022, he was appointed as the director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre. In an interview, while talking about becoming the director, he said,

An important responsibility is the Gaganyaan programme. A lot of activities related to it are going on at the VSSC. Also, the SSLV and other important satellite missions deserve attention. Priority will be given to speed up different missions which were going on at a slow pace due to Covid.”

Gaganyaan

In 2004, he became a member of the team of scientists working on ISRO’s first Human Spaceflight Programme (HSP) and began working on developing the Gaganyaan spacecraft, meant to carry Indian astronauts to space by 2025. He worked on the HSP project for several years before being promoted to the post of project director. Under his directorship, the team worked on defining vehicle configuration, onboard systems engineering, and developing technology critical for the spacecraft.

Space Capsule Recovery Experiment (SRE)

While working on the Gaganyaan project, he got associated with the SRE project, which was aimed at studying the methods of retrieving a spacecraft that has landed on Earth, the effects of microgravity on the spacecraft orbiting in space, and implementing the information gathered from SRE in the design and development of the Gaganyaan spacecraft. In January 2007, the ISRO conducted a successful test of the SRE. He played an important role in designing the parachute and other recovery systems for the SRE as well as organising synergy between various governmental agencies such as Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). He also involved the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard in the project, seeking their assistance in formulating standard operating procedures for recovering the re-entered spacecraft with Indian astronauts in it from the sea.

Crew Module Atmospheric Re-entry Experiment (CARE)

In December 2014, the ISRO conducted a successful test of the CARE experiment with the intent of implementing the lessons in the Gaganyaan spacecraft’s design. The experiment was based on the SRE experiment conducted by ISRO in 2007. Unnikrishnan served in the experiment as a Payload Director. He led a team of scientists in developing crucial technology for securely transporting the spacecraft’s payload into outer space and bringing it back to Earth.

Crew Escape System

He, as a Mission Director, led a team of scientists in designing and developing a crew escape system for the Gaganyaan mission. The system plays an important role in keeping the astronauts safe by allowing them to escape in case of an emergency. On 5 July 2018, the ISRO conducted a successful test of the escape module.

Human Space Flight Centre (HSFC)

In 2019, S. Unnikrishnan Nair founded the HSFC in Bengaluru and became its first director. HSFC’s role involves coordinating and implementing various projects under the Gaganyaan Project, such as mission planning, creating engineering systems to ensure crew survival in space, conducting crew selection and training, and undertaking research to support future human space flight missions in India. He served as its director till February 2022.

Chandrayaan 3

In 2019, Unnikrishnan became a member of the team that was involved in the development of the third lunar probe mission Chandrayaan-3. His designed LVM3-M4 rocket, carrying the Chandrayaan-3, was launched on schedule from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre Second Launch Pad in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, at 2:35 pm IST on 14 July 2023.

After travelling through space for thirty-nine days, the spacecraft reached its destination, i.e., the South Pole of the moon, on 23 August 2023. The spacecraft made a soft touchdown on the surface at 6:04 pm IST. After the successful landing, the entire team that worked on the project was congratulated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and the European Space Agency (ESA). ISRO Chief S. Somanath, through a video call, informed the PM of Chandrayaan-3’s success and said,

We have archived soft landing on the moon. India is on the Moon.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi witnessing the landing of the Chandrayaan-3 through a video call from South Africa

Awards, Honours, Achievements

• For his contributions to the SRE experiment, S. Unnikrishnan Nair was awarded the Team Excellence Award from ISRO in 2007.

• For his contributions to the successful conduct of the CARE experiment in 2014, Unnikrishnan Nair was awarded the Excellence Award by ISRO.

• In the same year, Unnikrishnan received the ISRO Individual Merit Award for his contributions to the Gaganyaan project.

• In 2018, he was awarded the ISRO Excellence Award for his role as a team leader in the Crew Escape System Pad Abort test.

• In 2019, he was awarded an Honourary Doctorate by the Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology for his contributions to the Gaganyaan project.
  

  S. Unnikrishnan Nair receiving an Honourary Doctorate at IIST

• In 2022, he received the Atmanirbhar Award from the Indian Society of Analytical Science (ISAS).

• In the same year, he received The National Systems Gold Medal from the Systems Society of India.

Facts/Trivia

• Unnikrishan Nair has served as a member-secretary of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA). He has also led several Indian delegations to international space seminars in Russia, which led to the signing of numerous pacts between Russia and India regarding space exploration.

• In 2022, he was appointed as the director of the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST).

• He has held the position of president at the Trivandrum chapter of the Indian National Society for Aerospace and Related Mechanism (INSARM).

• S. Unnikrishnan Nair is an avid traveller and likes to visit new places.

• He passionately follows his hobby of reading.

• Apart from his astronomical feats, Unnikrishnan is also an environmentalist and has undertaken numerous projects to preserve nature and forests.

• He has written numerous articles on nature and space for several Malayalam language magazines.
  

  A photo of an article written by Unnikrishnan for a Malayali magazine

• Unnikrishnan Nair has authored more than twelve research papers including Experimental and computational investigation of coupled resonator–cavity systems in 2010 and Scramjet Flight Testing in 2018.