Nambi Narayanan – Indian Aerospace Engineer

Nambi Narayanan, a renowned Indian aerospace engineer, was born on 12th December 1941 in the village of Nagarokoil, Kerala. He attended DVD Higher Secondary School, Nagercoil, and later graduated in Mechanical Engineering from Thiagarajar College of Engineering, Madurai.

His career in Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)

In 1966, Narayanan joined ISRO as a technical assistant at the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station. It was during his tenure that he introduced liquid fuel rocket technology to India in 1970. His expertise led to developing liquid propellant motors, starting with 600 kg thrust engines in the mid-1970s, and later advancing to larger engines.

Vikas engine

One of his notable contributions was the Vikas engine. This engine used in ISRO rockets like PSLV for successful missions like Chandrayaan-1 and Mangalyaan. Moreover.The Vikas engine played a crucial role as a second and fourth strap-on stage in the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle. Throughout his 35-year tenure at ISRO, Nambi Narayanan collaborated with esteemed scientists such as Satish Dhawan, Vikram Sarabhai, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, and A. U. Rao, further elevating the nation’s space research endeavors.

Achievements and autobiography

In recognition of his outstanding research achievements, Nambi Narayanan was honored with the prestigious Padma Bhushan award by the Government of India. His dedication to aerospace engineering and instrumental contributions to India’s space exploration define his remarkable legacy.

Additionally, Dr. Nambi Narayanan shared his incredible journey in his autobiography titled “Ormakalude Bhramanapadham,” written in the Malayalam language, inspiring future generations to pursue scientific excellence and innovation.

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Espionage Charges –

In 1994, authorities accused Nambi Narayanan of leaking crucial defense secrets to two alleged Maldivian intelligence officials, Mariam Rashida and Fauzia Hassan. Nambi and D. Sasikumaran leaked highly confidential “flight test data” from rocket and satellite launch experiments, as per defense officials’ statements.

He was accused of leaking confidential data worth millions. After the arrest of Kerala Police, Kerala Police kept him in jail for 50 days. In the year 1996, the CBI termed the case as false.

           All allegations against Nambi Narayanan was false in the CBI investigation. He was innocent. In 1999, the National Human Rights Commission passed a censure motion against the Kerala government, keeping in mind Narayanan’s career, family, mental and physical torture. He received Rs 1.3 crore as compensation from the Kerala government.