K. N. Shankara

Koodli Nanjunda Ghanapathi Shankara is a space scientist from India. He was the Director of ISRO's Space Applications Centre (SAC), Ahmedabad and ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC), Bangalore and now working as a senior scientist in ISAC. He was the Director of Satellite Communications Program Office and Program Director, INSAT, and was looking after overall planning and direction of communication satellite program. His work in the field of Design and Development of Transponders led to a boon in India's Communication Satellite Technology.
For his contribution in the field of Satellite Technology, he was awarded Padma Shri by the government of India in 2004. He is said to be the person who conceptualized Chandrayaan, India's first venture to Moon.

Shankara was born on May 7, 1945. He did his Post-graduation in Physics and received his Doctorate in Electrical Communication Engineering from Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore in 1972.

Shankara joined Space Application Centre, Ahmedabad in 1971 to work on the design and development of communication payloads. As Associate Project Director of INSAT- 2A and INSAT - 2B, he was responsible for the development transponders for these satellites. As Group Director at SAC until 1996, he has contributed extensively to orgainze the work in the area of microwave technology and spacecraft electronics.

He has also served as Honorary Professor at the Gujarat University and has large number of publications in national and international journals.

Shankara moved to ISRO Satellite Centre, Bangalore in 1996 as Deputy Director, Electronics Systems Area, to direct technical activities on spacecraft electronics like, spacecraft power systems, telemetry, telecommand and data handling, communication systems, assembly, integration and checkout of spacecraft. In 2001, he took over as Director, Satellite Communications Programme and Programme Director, INSAT at ISRO Headquarters, Bangalore, in which capacity, he was involved in the overall planning and direction of the communication satellite programme of ISRO.

In 2002, he became the Director of Space Applications Centre (SAC), Ahmedabad and will remain at that post till 2005. He then became the Director of ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC) and remain at the post since May 2008. He is now working as a scientist in ISAC.

Dr. Shankara is the recipient of the IETE-IRS (83) award for the year 1995-96 and was also awarded “Om Prakash Bhasin” award for “Space and Aerospace” for the year 1998 and “Ramlal Wadwa Gold Medal” for “Outstanding contribution in Electronics” during the year 2000 by the IETE. He Received Astronautical Society of India award for “Space System Management” for the year 2000 and “VASVIK award” for the year 2001 for contribution in “Electrical & Electronics and Science & Technology”. He has also been awarded Appreciation Award from National Biomedical Engineering Society of India.

In 2004 he was awarded Padma Shri for his contribution in the field of Space Technology.