The International Society of Automation has named Rao Mannepalli, chief scientist of Leidos, a 2026 ISA Fellow for his pioneering leadership and sustained contributions in the development of advanced aerospace technologies and systems, including missiles, launch vehicles and weapons systems, significantly advancing national defense and space exploration.
Q: Who nominated you for this award?
A: I was nominated by Dr. Ali Ostadfar, an ISA senior member. Ali and I worked together on ISA Aerospace and Test Measurement Division (board of directors).
Q: What advice would you like to offer to future or young automation professionals?
A: Technology is changing rapidly. We cannot predict the state of the art five years from now. AI is changing every facet of technology and society. Don't just follow it — try to create it.
As my professor at the university told us, “Know the questions first. You can find the answers. If you don't know the questions, you will assume that what you know is everything.”
Q: What ISA committees/projects have you worked on?
A: I served on the board of directors of Aerospace and Test Measurement Division as the director elect. I joined ISA only in 2023.
Q: Please describe a challenge you faced during your career and how you got through it.
A: I was working as a Scientist/Engineer-F at the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO, similar to NASA).
When the first Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) was on the launch pad with the PS-139 booster (the third largest in the world, 2.8 m diameter, 139-ton propellant), one day before launch, the mission director received a report that the Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) images taken using the 1.6 MeV Linear Accelerator (Linac) showed a large patch of lightness. Due to the energy limitations of the Linac, it was not possible to take a diagonal shot of the segment. The mission director asked me to look into the issue and give him a “go/no-go” decision.
By that time, they had exhausted all the possible options. If this light patch was due to a large blowhole, the rocket would explode. If it was due to porous propellant, it would not explode. I formed a committee of experts, studied the high-frequency pressure recordings and analyzed the combustion signatures for all the control motor tests. We used the tools I had developed earlier to study the combustion instabilities of liquid rocket engines.
We identified a correlation between the lightness and a not-so-normal combustion signature (in the frequency domain). We concluded that the light patch was due to porous propellant and predicted that the motor would not explode. Based on my committee's recommendation, the mission director gave his go-ahead. Later, the chamber pressure measured during the flight telemetry confirmed our conclusions. (As I used to say, “God was an Indian on that day.”)
ISA Automation Summit & Expo Honors & Awards Gala
Rao Mannepalli, along with the other ISA Fellows recognized in 2026, will be celebrated during the Honors & Awards Gala at ISA Automation Summit & Expo at Lake Buena Vista, Florida, on 28 September 2026. The other 2026 fellows include: John Cusimano, Sarah Fluchs, Ramachandra Kerur, Andrew McDonald, Glenn Anthony Merrell, Eloise L. Roche and Constantino Seixas Filho.
What is an ISA Fellow?
The esteemed Fellow member grade is one of the highest honors ISA can bestow. It recognizes only those senior members who have made exceptional contributions to the automation profession, in practice or in academia. Fellows often play an outsized role in furthering the organization, whether through active leadership positions or by volunteering to speak at conferences, write articles, or lead committees.
About ISA
The International Society of Automation (ISA) is a non-profit professional association founded in 1945 to create a better world through automation. ISA’s mission is to empower the global automation community through standards and knowledge sharing. ISA develops widely used global standards and conformity assessment programs; certifies professionals; provides education and training; publishes books and technical articles; hosts conferences and exhibits; and provides networking and career development programs for its members and customers around the world.
