Reghunadhan Nair
C. P. Reghunadhan Nair is an Indian polymer scientist who was the deputy director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (ISRO). Biography. Born at Alwaye (Aluva), Nair took his Masters in Applied Chemistry from Cochin University of Science and Technology in 1979 and doctorate in Macromolecular Materials from Louis Pasteur University, Strasbourg, France in 1989. He worked at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (ISRO) from 1980 in different capacities and retired as Scientist-H and Deputy Director in 2016. He was French Government Fellow for the period 1985-89 and CNRS visiting scientist in 1993 in France. As  of 2016, he was UGC visiting professor at Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) for a short while in year 2016. From 2016 to 2020 he served as KSCSTE emeritus Scientist in the same university. Currently he is Emiratus professor at this university. Nair's research has been mainly in fundamental polymer science. His areas of research include materials for space, polymer chemistry and propellants. He has also specialized in mission-oriented research and was an authority in chemical-related matters in ISRO. He was associated with the major programs of ISRO such as SRE, Chandrayaan, Mangalyaan, GSLV, GSLVmkIII  etc.. He was also the focal point for nanotechnology for space applications in VSSC. He has also worked to popularize chemistry through lectures and articles in periodicals and newspapers. His recent revelation on the usage of calcium carbide for artificial ripening of mangoes attracted a lot of public interest. He was awarded the Emeritus scientist fellowship by Kerala State Council for Science, technology and environment and work in this capacity at Cochin University of Science and technology, Cochin, India.