Professor Annapurni Subramaniam has become the first Indian woman to win the COSPAR Vikram Sarabhai Medal, receiving the international honour at the 46th COSPAR Scientific Assembly in Florence, Italy, in August 2026 for her outstanding contributions to space research and astronomy.
India’s space science community is celebrating a historic international milestone as Professor Annapurni Subramaniam, Director of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) in Bengaluru, received the COSPAR Vikram Sarabhai Medal. The prestigious award recognizes outstanding contributions to space research in developing countries, placing her among an elite group of international researchers.
Historic Recognition at the Florence Scientific Assembly
Subramaniam was honored during the 46th COSPAR Scientific Assembly in Florence, Italy, in August 2026. Her selection marks the first time an Indian woman has received the medal, and she stands as only the fourth Indian overall to earn the distinction since its inception.
Established in 1958, the medal encourages international scientific cooperation in space research. It is jointly awarded by the Committee on Space Research and the Indian Space Research Organisation in memory of Vikram Sarabhai, one of the architects of India’s space program. The prize is presented every two years, with candidates evaluated primarily on their work over the five years preceding each award cycle.
Three Decades of Pioneering Astronomical Research
A career spanning more than three decades underpins the international recognition. According to the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Subramaniam has published around 175 research papers and guided 15 PhD students. Her scientific investigations focus on star clusters, stellar populations, galaxies, ultraviolet astronomy, and the Magellanic Clouds.
In 2019, she became the first woman to head the Indian Institute of Astrophysics as its director. Beyond administrative leadership, her hands-on scientific contributions shaped observational astronomy in India.
Calibration Work on AstroSat and Next-Generation Space Telescopes
A central pillar of Subramaniam’s research involves AstroSat, India’s first dedicated multi-wavelength space observatory. She served as the calibration scientist for the observatory’s Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UVIT), leading its in-orbit calibration and performance verification.
The instrument provides researchers with data from ultraviolet wavelengths that Earth’s atmosphere typically blocks, enabling detailed studies of stars, star clusters, and other astronomical objects.
Looking ahead, Subramaniam serves as the principal investigator for INSIST, a proposed next-generation ultraviolet-optical space telescope intended to expand upon the foundations laid by AstroSat and UVIT. She also contributes to India’s participation in the international Thirty Meter Telescope project, bridging space-based and ground-based optical astronomy.
Preceded by Prominent Figures in Indian Space Science
Subramaniam joins a distinguished roster of previous Indian recipients. The medal was previously awarded to former ISRO chairman U.R. Rao in 1996, space physicist Gurbax Singh Lakhina in 2014, and Anil Bhardwaj, director of the Physical Research Laboratory, in 2024.
Her recent accolade follows national recognition in 2024, when the Government of India awarded her the Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar, Vigyan Shri, in Space Science and Technology for her investigations into single and binary stars, blue stragglers, star clusters, star formation, galactic structure and the Magellanic Clouds.
