About Director

Dr Anil Kumar A K, Outstanding Scientist, currently serves as the Director of the ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC), a Unit of the Indian Space Research Organisation under Department of Space.

He took charge as Director, ISTRAC in November 2024 after serving ISTRAC as Associate Director for about two years. He is also the Vice President of International Astronautical Federation (IAF) headquartered at Paris, France. He has established the India’s first ever Space Situational Awareness Control Centre named as ISRO System for Safe and Sustainable Space Operations Management (IS4OM) at ISTRAC, Bengaluru.

He has Master of Science in Mathematics from Mahatma Gandhi University, Master of Philosophy in Mathematics from Kerala University, Master of Science and Ph. D in Aerospace Engineering from Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore and also he graduated from International Space University (ISU) in Space Studies Program (2007).

He started his career in Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Trivandrum in 1990 and was involved in the various mission related activities of PSLV, GSLV, SRE and LVM3 and functioned as Head, Applied Mathematics Division since 2011 to 2019. He was the Director, Directorate of Space Situational Awareness and Management (DSSAM) at ISRO Hq during 2019-2022. He served as Project Director of NETRA project during 2019-2024. He has significantly contributed in defining the Space Debris related activities and Space Situational Awareness in ISRO, vital to long term sustainability of outer space activities.

He has been the ISRO representative in various international bodies including Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC), UNCOPUOS, UNOOSA and various working groups of International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) and IAF.

He has received ISRO team excellence award as team leader for his contributions to Space Debris Studies, Space System Award from Astronautical Society of India and Vikram Award from System Society of India.

He is the fellow of Indian National Academy of Engineering (INAE) and fellow of Aeronautical society of India (AeSI). He is also selected as the Member of International Academy of Astronautics (IAA). He is a member of many professional bodies including ASI, SSI and ISSE.

He has guided six scholars for Ph. D. He has authored 53 peer reviewed journal publications, more than 50 International/National Conferences. He is holding a patent and co-authored a book on Space Debris activities of ISRO. He is the founder and Chairman of I-Care charity trust supporting the poor and downtrodden in their miseries and hardships.