(1) S Somanath has been appointed as the new Director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC). He is an Indian aerospace engineer and rocket technologist and succeeded K Sivan, who has become the ISRO Chairman recently. Prior to this post, he was the director of Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) at Valiamala in Thiruvananthapuram, the lead centre responsible for liquid engines and stages for all launch vehicles and satellite programs of ISRO