Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Apr 14: Former director of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Satellite Centre and well-known space scientist, Dr S K Shivakumar (65), passed away on Saturday April 13 after being ill for about ten days at a private hospital here where he was undergoing treatment. He had been recipient of the coveted 'Padma Shri' title being given to individuals with extra ordinary feats.

Dr Shivakumar had joined Indian Space Research Organization in 1976. He retired in 2015 after serving the organization in various capacities. He was the director of U R Rao Satellite Centre of ISRO till March 2015. He was leading a team of 2,500 engineers involved with ISRO's Mangalyaan (trip to Mars) project. He had particularly made his efforts in the fields of satellite designing, development, and realizing the dream of indigenous building of satellites.

Shivakumar had also worked as assistant director of the union government for two years. He had served as the director of ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Common Network that regulates and operates Indian remote sensing satellites, between 1998 and 2010.