Qualification: B.Sc., DMIT (Aeronautics)

Career:
Project Director, Solid Motors Project 1982-1989
Deputy Director, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre 1989-1997
Associate Director, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre 1997-2000
Pandalai Memorial Chair Professor, Dept of Aerospace Engineering, Anna University 2000-2007
Lady Davis Visiting Professor, Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, Technion, Israel 2002

Research Interests: Rocket and Missile Propulsion

Honours and Awards:

Astronautical Society of India Award--Rocket and Related Technologies, 1992

Outstanding Alumnus Award, Madras Institute of Technology, 1998

Agni Award for Excellence in Self Reliance, 1999

Honorary Fellowship, High Energy Material Society of India, 2000

Certificate of Appreciation, International Astronautical Federation, 2002.

Member, Advisory Committee, Advanced Composites Mission, TIFAC, DST

Selected Papers:

1. R. Nagappa: “Propulsion System Status and Development Pathways in the Indian Context”, 6th International Symposium on Propulsion for the XXI Century, AAAF, Versailles, France, May 14-17, 2002.

2. R. Nagappa: “Survey of Solid Rocket Failures in India”, Invited Paper, 4th International High Energy Materials Conference & Exhibit, Pune, Nov 18-20, 2003.

3. R. Nagappa & V Baskar, “High Temperature Characterization of Composite Materials”’ Journal of Aerospace Quality and Reliability, v 2, no. 1, Jan 2006.

4. V. Baskar, P. Baskaran and R. Nagappa: “Design and Development of Below the Knee Composite Endoskeleton Artificial Limb” SAMPE 2004, May 16-20, 2004, Long Beach, California.

5. M. Senthil, V. Sarvanamoorthy, BTN. Sridhar & R. Nagappa, “Ageing Behaviour of Aluminized AP-HTPB Propellant at Elevated Storage Temperature”, 37th International Annual Conference on Energetic Materials—Insensitivity, Ageing, Monitoring, ICT, Pfintzal, Germany, June 27-30, 2006.

6. K. Ravichandran, BTN. Sridhar & R. Nagappa, “Accelerated Heat Ageing and Life Prediction of Nitrile Rubber Vulcanizates”, 37th International Annual Conference on Energetic Materials—Insensitivity, Ageing, Monitoring, ICT, Pfintzal, Germany, June 27-30, 2006.

7. S. Chandrashekar, Arvind Kumar, Rajaram Nagappa, “Pakistan’s Ballistic Missile Programme: An Assessment”, in Satish Kumar, ed., India’s National Security: Annual Review 2006 (Knowledge World: New Delhi), 2006, pp. 356 – 378.

8. R. Nagappa, “Survey of Small Satellite Propulsion Systems,” Invited Paper, National Conference on Air Breathing Engines & Aerospace Propulsion, Pune, Dec 12-14, 2006.

   
   

Courses taught/consultancies:

Course on Solid Rocket Propulsion.

Supervisor, student projects on ageing studies.

Chairman, Peer Review Committees on Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle, High Pressure Gas Actuation System and Hot Gas Generator Actuation Systems.

Chairman, Solid Rocket Design Review Committees

Chairman, Project Review Committee, Industrial Computed Tomography System and Ultrasonic NDT schemes for rocket propulsion systems.