New Project Director for GSLV Mark III programme

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Senior ISRO scientist G Ayyappan today took charge as the Project Director of the prestigious GSLV Mark III programme under development at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) here.

The programme is aimed at making the country self-reliant by developing rockets capable of launching heavier communication satellites of INSAT-4 class, which weigh 4,500 to 5,000 kg.

A graduate in Mechanical Engineering from the College of Engineering in Trivandrum and M Tech from IIT in Madras, he served ISRO in different capacities since 1982, an official release said.

He was the Vehicle Director of LVM3-X/CARE mission, the first experimental flight of the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) Mark III carried out in December last year, it said.

He was the Associate Project Director of GSLV Mk III prior to this post, it said.