India has another reason to look skyward.

Annapurni Subramaniam, Director of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Bengaluru, has been awarded the COSPAR Vikram Sarabhai Medal 2026, one of the international space research community’s notable honours for scientists from developing countries.

The medal was presented during the 46th COSPAR Scientific Assembly in Florence, Italy, recognising Subramaniam’s significant contributions to space research. The honour carries special significance for India. Subramaniam is only the fourth Indian to receive the medal and the first Indian woman scientist to earn it. She is also only the third woman globally to receive the distinction.

An Honour Rooted in Sarabhai’s Vision

Established in 1990, the medal honours Vikram Sarabhai, regarded as the architect of India’s space programme and founder of the Indian Space Research Organisation. The award is jointly associated with the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) and ISRO, recognising outstanding space research contributions from developing countries.

Subramaniam joins a distinguished group of Indian recipients, including U.R. Rao, who received the medal in 1996, physicist Gurbax Singh Lakhina in 2014 and ISRO scientist Anil Bharadwaj in 2024.

Exploring Stars, Galaxies and Beyond

Subramaniam’s scientific work spans some of astronomy’s most fascinating questions.

An astrophysicist specialising in stellar physics, she studies star clusters and nearby galaxies while also contributing to the development and use of sophisticated space- and ground-based astronomical instruments.

She played a significant role in India’s AstroSat mission, serving as the calibration scientist for its Ultra-violet Imaging Telescope (UVIT). Launched in 2015, AstroSat became India’s first dedicated space-based astronomy observatory, opening a new window into the universe.

Her work also extends to the ambitious Thirty Metre Telescope (TMT) project, an international collaboration in which India is a participating member.

A Scientist With a Growing List of Milestones

Subramaniam is a Fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences and a member of the International Astronomical Union. She also currently holds additional charge as Director of the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS).

Her achievements have previously earned national recognition. In 2024, she received the Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar – Vigyan Shri in the Space Science and Technology category.

The latest honour places her in an even more distinguished constellation of scientists.

India’s Space Story Gets Another Bright Star

COSPAR, established in 1958, is among the world’s major forums for space scientists. Its biennial scientific assembly typically brings together around 3,000 researchers from across the globe.

Now, among that international scientific community, Annapurni Subramaniam’s achievement shines as another milestone in India’s expanding contribution to space science.