M. Y. S. Prasad

M.Y.S. Prasad is an Indian scientist and the director of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre Sriharikota High Altitude Range (SDSC-SHAR).
M.Y.S. Prasad Distinguished Scientist (APEX), ISRO & Director, SDSC SHAR, Sriharikota.
Retired on 31 May 2015 as Director of Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR (SDSC-SHAR) of ISRO.
Regular Employee strength of SDSC is 2100, and annual Budget Rs. 500 Crores
DS (APEX) is Secretary to Government of India Grade since 1 May 2013.

• Bachelor of Engineering (Electronics and Communications) in 1974 from Government College of Engineering, Kakinada.
• Ph.D. from BITS, Pilani in the subject of "Interference in Satellite Communications" in 2005.
• 39 years of experience in Indian Space Program, Steering various activities and programs in different Centres and Units.

• Director of SDSC SHAR, Sriharikota, AP  : Jan 2013 to 31 May 2015
• Associate Director SDSC SHAR  : 2008 to Dec2012
• Deputy Director SAC, Ahmedabad  : 2005 to 2008
• Director DECU, Ahmedabad  : 2006 to 2008
• Director MCF Hassan, Karnataka  : 1999 to 2005
• Associate Director MCF  : 1998 to 1999
• Deputy Project Director PSLV, Thiruvananthapuram  : Nov 1997 to Oct 1998
• Counsellor (Space), Embassy of India – Paris, FRANCE  : 1994 to 1997
• Deputy Project Director ASLV & Project Manager-Avionics ASLV, VSSC  : 1982 to 1994
• Project Engineer SLV-3, VSSC Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala  : 1975 to 1982
• Worked in launch vehicle development, communication satellite operations, communication payload and ground systems development, international assignments, and presently in Launch Vehicle Operations Centre. Managed all areas with in-depth technical knowledge and enhanced teamwork.

Technology

• Control of preparation, final operations and Launch of all PSLV and GSLV launches since 2008 at SDSC SHAR Seventeen PSLV and three GSLV Launches.
• Handled many emergencies in Real time during Launch preparations, including a large Leak of Propellant in GSLV-D5 first launch attempt in August 2013.
• Contributed extensively to the Failure Analysis of GSLV-F06 and GSLV-D3 Missions.
• Commissioning of 9 GSO Satellite Missions from MCF, Regular operations and Emergency operations connected with many on-orbit Satellite anomalies.
• Handled major emergency of INSAT-2E Satellite, and guided the Team to operate the Spacecraft through many innovative methods for its complete mission life of 12 years.
• Introduced On-Board Computers into Launch Vehicles starting from ASLV.
• Proposed, introduced, qualified and made operational a system in all Launch Vehicles called "Realtime Decision System in the Flight Sequencing" – which is a key element for all Launch Vehicle successes.
• Introduced Design, Tests, Analysis and Solutions for all Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) problems in Launch Vehicles.

Infrastructure

• Created and commissioned New Master Control Facility at Bhopal for GSO Satellite operations.
• Augmented MCF Hassan Ground Stations and Control Centre to operate 20 Satellites simultaneously.
• Created Satellite based Disaster Management Communication System - with 22 User Nodes, 15 Disaster Monitoring and Decision making Nodes, and with Hub at New Delhi.
• Planned and realised Satellite Communication Link to connect Indian Antarctica Research Station Maithri to Goa.
• Lead the Team to realise New Mission Control Centre at SDSC SHAR.
• Lead the Team to realise Acoustic Suppression System at Second Launchpad at SDSC SHAR.
• Conceived, Planned, Designed, and presently guiding a large active phased array antenna based beam steering radar for Multi Object Tracking. Project costing Rs. 260 Crores is nearing completion.

• Worked four years in Paris as Counsellor (Space) and Networked many International Aerospace Professionals for the benefit of ISRO.
• Represented India (& ISRO) in the United Nations Committee On Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UN-COPUOS) for 11 years from 1996-2006.
• Member of the Working Group which evolved "UN Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines", adopted by UN General Assembly in December 2007.
• Elected as Member of International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) in 2008. Currently Member of IAA Awards Committee.
• Worked as the Vice-President of International Astronautical Federation (IAF) for 4 years from 2006-2010.
• Elected as Member of International Institute of Space Law (IISL).
• Visited Aerospace Organisations and Companies in the following Countries during the last 20 years : USA, France, Germany, Italy, U.K., Scotland, Austria, Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, Czech Republic, Hungary, Tunisia, French Guiana, Singapore, South Korea, Japan, China, Canada. This exposure helped to network a large number of Space Professionals, and also to observe their models of working with close understanding.

• Kannada Rajyotsava award in the field of Science, 2001.
• ISRO Merit award for in Orbit Management of Geo-stationary Satellites 2007.
• ISRO Team Excellence award for Operations of INSAT-2E, 2007.
• Selected and elected as Member of International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) in 2008
• ISRO Team Excellence award as the Leader of the team for Satellite based Disaster Warning and Communication Systems, 2009.
• ISRO Team Excellence award for EDUSAT Utilisation Programme, 2009.
• ISRO Team Excellence award as Team Leader for Development of Innovative Launch Facilities, 2011.
• "Professor Nayudamma" Award for 2013.
• Lifetime Achievement Award in Space Technologies by Arunai Engineering College, Tamil Nadu, in 2013.
• Honorary Doctorate from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Kakinada in June, 2013.
• Govt. of India’s Civilian Award Padma Shri for the year 2014.
• "Vikram Sarabhai Memorial Award 2014–15 by the Indian Science Congress Association.
• Enrolled in the Institution of Electronics & Telecommunication Engineers (IETE) as Fellow and Honoured with Diamond Jubilee Medal – 2014 for outstanding contribution in the field of Electronics, Communication, IT.
• International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) Laurels for Team Award-2013, as Technology Leader in Chandrayaan-I Mission.
• Honorary Doctorate from Vignan University, Guntur for the year 2014.
• Member of Board of Directors of Pragathi Engineering College, KAKINADA.
• Member of Advisory Board of Egnify Technologies Pvt.Ltd.

• 40 Publications in various Indian and International Journals and International Conferences.
• Delivered more than 60 Invited Lectures on different areas of Space field in various Universities/Engineering Colleges.
• Taught Satellite Communication subject for M.Tech. Students.