A. E. Muthunayagam Age, Biography

Some Lesser Known Facts About A. E. Muthunayagam

• In 1966, he was hired by Vikram Sarabhai in Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

• A. E. Muthunayagam has been an active participant of the Chennai Christian Ecumenical Fellowship.

• He serves as a space scientist in the Indian Space Research Organisation.

• A. E. Muthunayagam is known for being the chief architect of rocket propulsion in India.

• He played a key role in creating the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC).

• He is known as the ‘Father of Propulsion Technology’ in India’s space program because of his major contributions to the development of propulsion technology in India.

• A. E. Muthunayagam chose to return to India from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to help in developing propulsion technology for the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

• He established test stands as well as assembly and integration facilities for testing the liquid stages of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) at the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre in Mahendragiri.

• On 30 November 1985, he started working as the founding Director of the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre. He served in that position till 14 April 1994.

• A. E. Muthunayagam also served as Secretary of the Department of Ocean Development.

• Later, he worked as the Executive Vice-President of the Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment.
  

  An old picture of A. E. Muthunayagam

• In 1996, he was appointed as a Chairman of Regional Committee of Inter-governmental Oceanographic Commission for the Central Indian Ocean. He served in the position till 2001.

• In 1998, he started working as a Chairman of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources. He served in the position till 2000.

• From 1996 to 1998, he served as the Vice Chairman of Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission.

• A. E. Muthunayagam serves as a Fellow of the Astronautical Society of India, Aeronautical Society of India, Indian National Academy of Engineering, and Institution of Engineers, India.

• He is a Foreign Member of Academy of Cosmonautics, Moscow, Russia.

• He has held many important positions in space program of India. He served as the Head of the Propulsion Engineering Division and the Head of the Mechanical Engineering Division at the Space Science and Technology Centre (SSTC).

• A. E. Muthunayagam was the Project Leader of the Rohini 125 Rocket Project, the Rohini Multi-Stage Rocket Project, and the Strip Wound Motor Project.

• He also worked as a Project Engineer and served as the Chairman of the Board of Administration of the Static Test and Evaluation Complex at Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.

• From 2005 to 2008, he served as the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Chennai.

• He was appointed under Section 11 of the IIT Act of 1961, which defines the composition of the Board of Governors for each of the seven Indian Institutes of Technology in India.
  

  A. E. Muthunayagam while delivering a lecture

• He served as a member of the Science and Technology Committee appointed by the Government of Kerala.

• A. E. Muthunayagam was also a member of the Review Committee for the Birla Institute of Technology, Ranchi, which was appointed by the Ministry of Social Welfare, Government of India.

• He has also served on the Scientific Advisory Committee on Propulsion at the National Aeronautical Laboratory in Bangalore.

• After that, he was designated as a member of the Board of Management of the Sriharikota Centre.

• Later, he became the Director of the Propulsion Group at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC).

• He has served as the Project Manager of the Vikas Project, which was a technology collaboration with a French aeronautical company.

• A. E. Muthunayagam was also the Chairman of the Rocket Propulsion Board and the Convener of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Centre National d’Études Spatiales (France) Launcher Working Group.

• He has worked as an Adviser for the Static Test Facilities of ISRO and served as the Programme Director of the Auxiliary Propulsion Systems Unit.

• He later became the Director of Liquid Propulsion Projects, Chairman of the LPP Management Board, and Chairman of the SRC on SLV-3 Rocket Motors.

• He has also served as the Chairman of the Mission Readiness Reviews for the ASLV D1 and ASLV D2 launches.

• He has served as the Project Manager for the Vikas engine project.

• In 2011, he was appointed as the Chairman of the safety review committee for the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project by the Department of Atomic Energy, India.

• In 2026, he made headlines when he was honoured with the Padma Shri award, fourth-highest civilian honor of India, for his contributions to Science and Engineering.