Dr. S Unnikrishnan Nair - On Championing Chandrayaan-3, India’s Lasting Lunar Legacy
A visionary scientist whose journey reads like a tale of boundless determination, earnest, and stellar accomplishments, Dr. S Unnikrishnan Nair, an alumnus of IIT Madras, epitomizes an unwavering pursuit of knowledge, leading him to go light years beyond his Ph.D. from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at IIT Madras in 2011. He is the Director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), ISRO, and Director of IIST, Thiruvananthapuram. Also, he is the Founding Director of the Human Space Flight Centre, Bangalore.
Driven by a steadfast dedication to the field of space technology. Dr. S. Unnikrishnan Nair is a distinguished scientist, involved in the development of various aerospace systems and mechanisms for PSLV, GSLV, and LVM3. He is the director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Center as well as the Indian Institute of Space Technology (IIST), Thiruvananthapuram. He played a key role in the maiden orbital re-entry experiment, the Space Capsule Recovery Experiment (SRE), right from the study phase onwards to its mission accomplishment in 2007.
Discover the untold stories of Chandrayaan-3 as shared by Dr. S. Unnikrishnan Nair, a key figure in this historic mission, that has left a lasting impact on the world. Please find excerpts of his speech at the Chandrayaan-3 Felicitation Event at IIT Madras, below, interspersed with his life journey. You can watch the full speech here.
The beginning of a journey of a thousand miles
Fuelled by a relentless passion and unwavering determination, Dr. Unnikrishnan Nair’s journey to lunar success ignited during his undergraduate years. He completed his Bachelor of Technology in Mechanical Engineering in Kerala. He then proceeded to advance his career with a Master's in Aerospace Engineering in Bangalore, followed by a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from IIT(M), Chennai. He also holds an MA in Telecommunications and Space Law from NALSAR, Hyderabad.
Dr. Unnikrishnan Nair started his career at Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Trivandrum in 1985 and was involved in the development of various aerospace systems and mechanisms for PSLV, GSLV, and LVM3.
Recalling his days as a PhD Student at IIT Madras, Dr. S. Unnikrishnan Nair said, “I stayed on this campus for hardly one semester but that one semester made a lot of changes in me. My guru for PhD, Prof. P. Chandramouli is now heading the Department. We feel proud that we belong to this institute and that we could do something; that is because of the energy and enthusiasm that we got by being part of a great institution.”
Innovating for India
Innovating for India
Dr. Unnikrishnan Nair has made seminal contributions in developing the Parachute and other Recovery systems for a re-entering vehicle for the first time in the country. He has also played a pivotal role in lining up various national agencies including the Services for formulating the recovery procedures and implementation for the recovery of SRE from sea.
He was associated with Human Spaceflight Programme from its study phase since 2004 and was the Project director for Pre-project technology development activities. He led the project team in defining the Vehicle configuration and systems engineering and in identifying various critical technology development areas to initiate the pre-project activities. He was the Payload Director for CARE [Crew module Atmospheric Re-entry Experiment], where a full-scale Crew Module was flown successfully in the LVM3X-CARE sub-orbital mission held in December 2014. He also served as Deputy Director, Structures Entity of VSSC concurrently with the human space flight technology development.
He has significantly contributed in defining the Crew Escape System, a vital system in manned missions for crew rescue under any contingency and was the Mission Director for the first Crew escape system - Pad abort test held in July 2018. He served as the Programme director of Advanced Space Transportation System, a unified entity created for integrating the various technology development activities of Human space flight, Reusable launch vehicle, Air breathing propulsion, and Advanced test vehicle.
“Over the past year, India has undertaken numerous space missions, with their share of challenges and successes. We explored innovative solutions, such as inflatable systems, to reduce the speed of aircraft and rocket parts, transitioning from supersonic to subsonic conditions for cost-effective stage recovery. Our experiments with sounding rockets have yielded promising results, and we aim to scale this technology for future stage recoveries at sea.
Another remarkable mission was the development of a reusable launch vehicle, a winged aircraft. Unlike conventional satellites, it can travel to space, conduct experiments, return in hypersonic conditions, and land autonomously on a runway. In just a couple of years, you'll witness these winged aircraft going to space and revolutionizing launch vehicle reusability, thereby reducing costs.”
Recasting Challenges into Opportunities
“We faced challenges, including the GSLV F10 failure due to a minor pressure drop. However, we embraced these setbacks as opportunities for learning, analysed data, and found solutions. The GSLV FAL launch was a testament to our perseverance. Similarly, our journey with small satellite launch vehicles had its hiccups, but we overcame them, launching small satellites that will serve various industries worldwide.
Our LV M3 missions, particularly the ones involving multiple satellite launches, showcased our adaptability and success in accommodating customer needs. The achievements of LV M3, including the Chandrayaan-1 mission, paved the way for India's future in space exploration.”
Scaling New Peaks of Achievement
Scaling New Peaks of Achievement
As founding Director of the youngest Centre in ISRO, the Human Space Flight Centre, HSFC, he has led the team in establishing the Astronaut Training Centre at Bangalore in HSFC at Bangalore.
Dr. Unnikrishnan Nair has received ISRO team excellence award for his contributions to SRE, ISRO Excellence Award as Team Leader for CARE in 2014, ISRO Individual Merit Award for the year 2014 for his contributions towards technology development for manned space mission, ISRO Excellence Award as Team Leader for Crew Escape System Pad Abort Test in 2018, Atmanirbharata Award from Indian Society of Analytical Science in 2022 and National Systems Gold Medal from Systems Society of India in 2022.
Dr. S Unnikrishnan Nair is a member of many professional bodies and is the national president of the Indian National Society for Aerospace and Related Mechanism (INSARM). He has authored several papers including 12 for international journals/conferences. He holds a patent and received an honorary doctorate for his contributions to human space flight activities.
He is the co-editor of a textbook on Finite element analysis which is under publishing. He is an ardent nature lover and works for its preservation. He has also published a few short stories in leading Malayalam magazines.
Dr.Unnikrishnan in his address at the felicitation programme at IIT Madras, shared, “We recently witnessed the groundbreaking Chandrayaan-3 mission, where we successfully landed on the moon's south pole, a historic achievement. The Southern Pole is significant because of its water reserves, detected by Chandrayaan-1. This water can potentially be converted into cryogenic fuel, a vital resource for future space missions, including those to Mars.
Our institution has instilled in us the energy and courage to overcome challenges, right up to the Chandrayaan-2 mission's successful launch and landing. I have no doubt that all of you, the students, are the future jewels of our nation, destined to achieve greatness.”
