Senior scientist UP Rajeev has been appointed as the new director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Center (VSSC). VSSC is one of the important centers of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). Dr. Rajiv, who is currently working as Associate Director (Research and Development) at VSSC, will now take charge of the center which is known for developing India's launch vehicle technology.

According to an official statement issued on Friday, with decades of experience in rocket control and guidance systems, he has played a key role in mission design and simulation of many of ISRO's major launch vehicle programmes.

Dr. Rajeev, who studied at the College of Engineering, Thiruvananthapuram, obtained a degree in Applied Electronics and Instrumentation. After this he completed post-graduation in Instrumentation and Control Systems from National Institute of Technology, Calicut. After this he did PhD from Indian Institute of Science and then furthered his career in ISRO. He is a resident of Pathanapuram in Kollam district of Kerala.

Dr. Rajiv is the son of Unnikrishnan Nair and Padmakshi Amma. His wife is Asha P. Nair, a senior scientist at VSSC. The couple has a daughter (Parvati Nair).