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Indian rocket scientist and founder of India's first solid rocket propellant plant
M. R. Kurup
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Born
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Died
| India
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Other names
| Madhavan Pillai Ramakrishna Kurup
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Occupation
| Rocket scientist
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Known for
| Solid
rocket propulsion
technology
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Parent
| C. N. Madhavan Pillai
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Awards
| Padma Shri
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Madhavan Pillai Ramakrishna Kurup
was an Indian rocket scientist and the founder of the first solid rocket propellant plant in India at the
Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre
.
[1]
He is known to have contributed to the successful launching of the
Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle
(ASLV) as the director of the VSSC centre in
Thiruvananthapuram
.
[2]
The
Government of India
awarded him the fourth highest civilian award of
Padma Shri
in 1990.
[3]
Biography
[
edit
]
Kurup was born in
Chengannur
, in the south Indian state of
Kerala
to C. N. Madhavan Pillai, a lawyer.
[4]
Kurup started his career by joining the
Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre
(VSSC) of the
Indian Space Research Organisation
(ISRO). He worked in VSSC in various capacities such as General Manager, Deputy Director and Chief Executive of Chemicals, Materials and Propulsion unit
[1]
where he had the opportunity to work alongside
A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
, the space scientist who would later become the
President of India
.
[5]
During his tenure there, he established the first solid rocket propulsion plant in the country
[1]
for propellants, propulsion and pyrotechnics.
[6]
He was a member of the team selected by
Vikram Sarabhai
to design the first Indian
satellite launch vehicle
, which was composed of Kurup,
Vasant Gowarikar
,
A. E. Muthunayagam
and
Udupi Ramachandra Rao
among others.
[6]
He was the Design Project Leader of the second stage
[7]
and was closely associated with the project till the launch of the vehicle on 10 August 1979.
[8]
Later, he moved to
Satish Dhawan Space Centre
in
Sriharikota
in
Andhra Pradesh
,
[8]
established a similar plant in the 1970s and superannuated from service as the director of the SHAR centre.
[1]
The Government of India included him in the 1990
Republic Day honours
list for the civilian award of the
Padma Shri
.
[3]
The Indian Society for Non-Destructive Testing has instituted an annual lecture, the M. R. Kurup Memorial Lecture, in his honour.
[1]
See also
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References
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1950s
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1960s
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1970s
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1980s
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1990s
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2000s
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2010s
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2020s
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