Anil Bhardwaj

Prof. Anil Bhardwaj joined Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in 1993 as a scientist at the Space Physics Laboratory (SPL) of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) in Trivandrum. He became the Head of the newly formed Planetary Science Branch of SPL in August 2007, and was subsequently the Director of SPL during February 2014 to February 2017. Since 2017, he is the Director of Physical Research Laboratory (PRL). He has worked at NASA Marshall Space Flight Centre, USA, for about 2 years as National Academy of Science (NRC) Senior Research Associate during 2004-2005.

Prof. Bhardwaj initiated the research in planetary science at SPL and contributed to the development of planetary science program in ISRO/Department of Space, and planning of planetary missions of India. He was the Principal Investigator (PI) of SARA experiment on the first Indian Lunar mission Chandrayaan-1, which has revolutionized our understanding on the interaction of solar wind with the Moon through several new findings. He was the PI of MENCA experiment on the Indian Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM). He and his team have PI-lead experiments on Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter, and Chandrayaan-3 Lander and Rover missions, as well as solar mission Aditya-L1.

He has been an observer on Chandra and XMM-Newton X-ray Observatories, Hubble Space Telescope, and Giant Meterwave Radio Telescope (GMRT). His primary research field is planetary and space sciences, and solar system exploration. He has made outstanding contributions in the field of solar system X-ray astronomy, including discovery of X-rays from the rings of Saturn and X-ray flares from Jupiter and Saturn, and theoretical modelling of aurora and airglow emissions and photochemistry in planetary upper atmospheres and ionospheres and comets. He has published more than 220 peer-reviewed research papers in international journals and chapter in Books.

Prof. Bhardwaj is an elected Fellow of all the three National Science Academies in India, and of many other Academies/Societies, and has received recognition at both national and international level – including two most coveted science awards – Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize (2007) and Infosys Prize (2016). He is also a recipient of INSA-Vainu Bappu Memorial International Award (2016), Decennial Award of Indian Geophysical Union (2017), J.C. Bose National Fellowship (2019), Prof. M. G. K. Menon Lecture Award of NASI (2021), AOGS Fellowship and INSA Distinguished Lecture Fellowship (2023), to name a few.

In 2024, he has received the coveted Vikram Sarabhai Medal of COSPAR, and the International Academy of Astronautics, Basic Sciences Section Award. Prof. Bhardwaj is revered by ISRO in 2017 with highest in-service award – The Outstanding Achievement Award.