As we commemorate the birth anniversary of Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, we pay homage to the architect of India’s ambitious space program. Born on August 12, 1919, in Ahmedabad, Vikram Sarabhai was a man with extraordinary intellect with a foresight that propelled a nation into the cosmos.
Post his matriculation, Vikram Sarabhai went to Cambridge and took up the tripos in Natural Sciences from St. John’s College in 1940. When World War II began, he decided to return to India and join as a research scholar under CV Raman at Bengaluru-based Indian Institute of Science.
His unwavering determination and profound belief in India’s potential were evident as he harnessed science for the betterment of society. He established the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) in Ahmedabad in 1947. This became India’s cradle for space exploration. Later in 1962, he took the helm of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). As India was grappling with poverty, his insistence on investing on space exploration was met with skepticism.
From huble beginnings to becoming a global leader in space technology, his legacy etched ISRO’s sky. For this reason, today on his birth anniversary ISRO wrote a tweet on X in his remembrance.
For his contributions, Vikram Sarabhai received the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Medal in 1962. The Centre honoured him with the Padma Bhushan in 1966 and Padma Vibhushan (posthumously) in 1972 until he breathed his last on December 31, 1971.
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