Mylswamy Annadurai
Award Name : Padma Shri
Year of Award : 2016
Award for : Science and Engineering
Location : Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
Mylswamy Annadurai is a scientist with the Indian Space Research Organization and currently serves as Director, ISRO Satellite Centre(ISAC), Bangalore. Prior to that he was working as Programme Director for IRS&SSS that include Chandrayaan-1, Chandrayaan-2, ASTROSAT, Aditya-1, Mars Orbiter Mission and many Indian Remote Sensing missions. Annadurai and his works are mentioned in 10th standard Science Text Book of Tamil Nadu. Annadurai has been listed among 100 Global thinkers of 2014 and tops the innovators list ". He was born on 2 July 1958 in Kothavadi, Tamil Nadu, India. Dr Annadurai graduated in Electronics and Communication Engineering from Government College of Technology, Coimbatore, obtained his Post Graduate degree in Applied Electronics from PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore and Doctoral degree from Anna University, Coimbatore.
Joining ISRO in 1982, Dr Annadurai began his career at ISAC as the team leader to design and develop Software Satellite Simulator. During the period 1992 -2005, Dr Annadurai was the lead member of ISRO’s satellite mission team and managed eight INSAT Missions as the Mission Director and brought about the efficient ground automation for satellite operations. As Project Director, Dr Annadurai made the most crucial contribution to the realisation of India’s first Lunar Mission, Chandrayaan-1, which won many appreciations and awards including the prestigious Space Pioneer Award, 2009. In 2011, Dr Annadurai became the Programme Director of Indian Remote Sensing Satellites (IRS) and Small Satellite Systems (SSS) and realised five satellite projects. His other major contribution is the realisation of the successful Mars Orbiter Mission in record time. Dr Annadurai also supervised two student satellite projects.