Bangalore: Former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman and Member of Parliament (MP) Dr K Kasturirangan is being honoured with the prestigious Allan D Emil Memorial Award for 2004 by the International Astronautical Federation (IAF).

The award, announced at the recently held 54th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) at Bremen, Germany is in recognition of Kasturirangan's outstanding contributions to space science, technology and applications and furthering international cooperation in space, an ISRO statement said on October 22.

Kasturirangan would be presented with the award at the 55th IAC in 2004, to be held at Vancouver in Canada.

Kasturirangan was elected at Bremen as the vice president of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) and he will steer the scientific activities of the international academy for the coming years, it said.

The IAF also has accepted the proposal of ISRO to host the 58th IAC to be held in 2007 in India.

PTI