Kailasavadivoo Sivan (born 14 April 1957), known as K. Sivan, is an Indian space scientist who was chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) from January 2018 to January 2022. The son of a farmer, he was the first graduate in his family. He spent nearly four decades building India’s rockets and is known as the “Rocket Man” for his work on the PSLV and GSLV launch vehicles. As chairman he led the Chandrayaan-2 Moon mission in 2019.
Quick Facts
| Full name | Kailasavadivoo Sivan |
| Born | 14 April 1957, Sarakkalvilai, Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu, India |
| Age | 69 |
| Field | Aerospace engineering |
| Education | Madras Institute of Technology (B.Tech. 1980); IISc Bangalore (M.E. 1982); IIT Bombay (Ph.D. 2006) |
| Office | Chairman of ISRO (2018–2022) |
| Known for | PSLV and GSLV rockets, 104-satellite launch, Chandrayaan-2 |
Early Life
Sivan was born in Sarakkalvilai, a village near Nagercoil, where his father farmed mangoes. He studied in a Tamil-medium government school and helped on the farm; he has said he wore sandals for the first time when he went to college. He graduated in mathematics from a college in Nagercoil, then studied aeronautical engineering at the Madras Institute of Technology in Chennai and took a master’s degree at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore. He later earned a doctorate from IIT Bombay.
Career
Sivan joined ISRO in 1982 and worked on the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), contributing to its mission planning and design. He developed SITARA, the software ISRO uses to simulate rocket trajectories. He later led the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) project and helped bring India’s own cryogenic engine into service. He became director of the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre in 2014 and of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in 2015. In February 2017 he was a key figure in the PSLV mission that placed a record 104 satellites in orbit on a single launch.
Sivan became chairman of ISRO in January 2018. Under him ISRO launched Chandrayaan-2 in July 2019. Its orbiter reached the Moon successfully, but contact with the Vikram lander was lost moments before touchdown on 7 September 2019. Images of Prime Minister Narendra Modi consoling a tearful Sivan were seen across the country. During his term the government also approved Gaganyaan, India’s human spaceflight programme, and opened the space sector to private companies. He was succeeded by S. Somanath, under whom Chandrayaan-3 landed on the Moon in 2023.
Personal Life
Sivan is married to Malathi, and they have two sons. He enjoys Tamil classical songs and gardening.
Awards and Honours
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where was K. Sivan born?
K. Sivan was born on 14 April 1957 in Sarakkalvilai, Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu, India and is 69 years old.
What is K. Sivan known for?
Known for: PSLV and GSLV rockets, 104-satellite launch, Chandrayaan-2.
Featured image: K. Sivan, chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation from 2018 to 2022. Photo by Indian Space Research Organisation, licensed under Government Open Data License – India, via Wikimedia Commons.
