Which eminent Indian astrophysicist received the COSPAR

Solution

Prahlad Chandra Agrawal, an eminent Indian astrophysicist, received the COSPAR Harrie Massey Award 2024 at the 45th COSPAR Scientific Assembly in Busan, South Korea, on July 15, 2024. This prestigious award recognizes his significant contributions to space science, which have led to a minor planet being named 20064 Prahladagrawal in his honor. Under Agrawal's leadership, AstroSat, India's first multi-wavelength space telescope, was launched on September 28, 2015, by ISRO with a budget of Rs 400 crore. AstroSat continues to provide valuable data beyond its expected five-year mission. Developed by TIFR, IIA, and the U.R. Rao Satellite Centre of ISRO, AstroSat has contributed to over 500 scientific papers and 30 doctoral theses, with its data being available as open source for global research collaboration. Agrawal, a senior professor at TIFR, has an impressive academic background, having studied at Caltech and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. He has played key roles in notable projects such as NASA’s HEAO-1 A4 device and the Indian X-Ray Astronomy Experiment on the IRS P-3 satellite. The COSPAR Harrie Massey Award honors significant contributions to space science, promoting international collaboration, and recognizing exceptional achievements in fields such as planetary science and space physics.