Thiruvananthapuram: Senior scientist U P Rajeev has been appointed as the new Director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), one of the key centres of the Indian Space Research Organisation.

Dr Rajeev, who is currently serving as Associate Director (Research and Development) at VSSC, will take over the leadership of the centre known for developing India's launch vehicle technologies.

With decades of experience in rocket control and guidance systems, he has played a leading role in the mission design and simulation of several of ISRO's major launch vehicle programmes, according to an official statement here on Friday.

An alumnus of the College of Engineering Thiruvananthapuram, where he earned a degree in Applied Electronics and Instrumentation, Dr Rajeev later completed his postgraduate studies in Instrumentation and Control Systems at the National Institute of Technology, Calicut.

He subsequently obtained a PhD from the Indian Institute of Science before continuing his career at ISRO.

He is native of Pathanapuram in Kerala's Kollam district.

This report was published from a wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.