The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the extension of tenure of Sivan K, as Chairman of the Indian Space Organization, who was due superannuation on January 14, 2021, by a year to January 14, 2022.
He has led Isro’s effort to allow private firms and startups to build rockets and satellites and operate them for customers. IN-Space, or Indian Space Promotion and Authorisation Center, is touted as the body that will ensure a level playing field for Indian industry in a fast-growing global space sector.
ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) will now focus on the research and development, deep space mission, and human spaceflight, shifting the operational remote sensing and communication satellites. Besides this, Isro will also focus on the rockets to New Space India Ltd, a state-run commercial entity.
Sivan joined Isro in 1982 and was inducted into the PSLV Project. He took over as ISRO chairman in January 2018. Under his chairmanship, the space agency launched various vital projects, including Chandrayaan 2, the second mission to the moon, on July 22 last year, and currently working on the human spaceflight mission.