Vikram Sarabhai

Early Life and Education

Vikram Ambalal Sarabhai was born on 12 August 1919. He was an Indian physicist and astronomer. He studied science and learned a lot about space and energy.

Contributions to Space Research

Sarabhai helped start space research in India. He worked hard to make India strong in science. Because of his important work, many people call him the "Father of Indian space program."

Work in Nuclear Power

Sarabhai also helped develop nuclear power in India. This energy source can provide power to many homes and cities.

Honors and Recognition

For his achievements, Sarabhai received many awards. In 1966, he was given the Padma Bhushan, one of India's highest awards. After he passed away, he was later awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 1972.

Legacy

Vikram Sarabhai’s work helped India grow in science and technology. He inspired many people around the world.

Early life and education

Vikram Sarabhai was born on 12 August 1919 in Ahmedabad, India. He was from a Gujarati Śvetāmbara Shrimali Jain family. His father, Ambalal Sarabhai, was a well-known businessman who helped the Indian independence movement.

Professional life

Vikram Sarabhai started the Physical Research Laboratory in 1947. It became important for space science in India. The lab began in his home and later moved to Ahmedabad. It studied cosmic rays and the upper atmosphere.

Sarabhai helped create many important institutions, such as the Nehru Foundation for Development, the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, and the Darpana Academy of Performing Arts. He also worked on projects like the first Indian satellite, Aryabhata, which was launched in 1975. He was a leader in science, business, and the arts.

Death

On 30 December 1971, Sarabhai planned to review a design before leaving for Mumbai. After talking on the phone with A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, he suddenly became ill and passed away at the age of 52 in Trivandrum. He was honored in Ahmedabad.

Personal life

Vikram Sarabhai married the classical dancer Mrinalini in 1942. They had two children. His daughter Mallika became an actress and activist. His son Kartikeya worked in science. Sarabhai studied at Gujarat College in Ahmedabad. He then went to the University of Cambridge in England. He finished a science degree there in 1940 and later returned to complete his PhD in 1947.

Distinguished positions

Vikram Sarabhai held many important jobs. He was President of the Physics section at the Indian Science Congress in 1962. He was also President of the General Conference of the I.A.E.A. in Vienna in 1970. He served as Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission of India from 1966 to 1971. He was Vice-president at the Fourth UN Conference on 'Peaceful uses of Atomic Energy' in 1971. He was the founder and Chairman of the Space Applications Centre from 1963 to 1971.

Legacy

The Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Thiruvananthapuram, Trivandrum, is named for him. He helped start the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad. In 1972, India made a special stamp to remember him. In 1973, a spot on the Moon was named after him. India's moon lander on the Chandrayaan-2 mission was also named Vikram for him.

A science center in Ahmedabad and a space museum in Hyderabad honor him. A special award for space news was made in his name for his 100th birthday in 2019.

In popular culture

On August 12, 2019, Google celebrated Sarabhai’s 100th birthday with a special drawing. In September 2020, ACK Media and ISRO published a book called Vikram Sarabhai: Pioneering India's Space Programme on the Amar Chitra Katha digital platform and in ACK Comics.

In 2022, a web-series named Rocket Boys told a story about Sarabhai and Homi J. Bhabha. Later that year, the film Rocketry: The Nambi Effect, about Nambi Narayanan's life, included Sarabhai, played by Rajit Kapur in the Hindi version and Ravi Raghavendra in the Tamil version.