Vikram Sarabhai | |
|---|---|
 Official Portrait of Dr Vikram Sarabhai | |
| 1stChairperson of ISRO | |
| In office 1969–1971 | |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | M. G. K. Menon |
| Chairman of theIndian National Committee for Space Research | |
| In office 1963–1969 | |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished |
| Chairperson of the Atomic Energy Commission of India | |
| In office 1966–1971 | |
| Preceded by | Homi J. Bhabha |
| Succeeded by | H.N. Sethna |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Vikram Ambalal Sarabhai (1919-08-12)12 August 1919[1] |
| Died | 30 December 1971(1971-12-30) (aged 52) |
| Spouse | Mrinalini Sarabhai (m.1942; died.2016) |
| Children | Mallika Sarabhai (daughter) Kartikeya Sarabhai (son) |
| Parent(s) | Ambalal Sarabhai (father) |
| Scientific career | |
| Alma mater | University of Cambridge (BA,PhD) |
| Known for | Indian space program Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad |
| Awards | Padma Bhushan (1966) Padma Vibhushan (posthumously) (1972) |
| Fields | Physics |
| Institutions | Indian Space Research Organisation Physical Research Laboratory |
| Doctoral advisor | C. V. Raman |
| Doctoral students | Udupi Ramachandra Rao |
Vikram Ambalal Sarabhai (12 August 1919 – 30 December 1971) was an Indianphysicist andastronomer who initiatedspace research and helped to developnuclear power in India. Often regarded as the "Father of Indian space program",[2] Sarabhai was honored withPadma Bhushan in 1966 and thePadma Vibhushan (posthumously) in 1972.
Vikram Sarabhai was born on 12 August 1919 in aGujaratiŚvetāmbaraShrimaliJain family, inAhmedabad, India.[3][4][5] His father wasAmbalal Sarabhai, a major industrialist committed to theIndian independence movement.[6][1]
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Known as the cradle of space sciences in India, thePhysical Research Laboratory (PRL) was founded in 1947 by Vikram Sarabhai.[7] PRL had a modest beginning at his residence, the "RETREAT", with research oncosmic rays.
The institute was formally established at the M.G. Science Institute, Ahmedabad, on 11 November 1947[8] with support from the Karmkshetra Educational Foundation and theAhmedabad Education Society.Kalpathi Ramakrishna Ramanathan was the first Director of the institute. The initial focus was research oncosmic rays and theproperties of theupper atmosphere. Research areas were expanded to includetheoretical physics andradio physics later with grants from the Atomic Energy Commission.He led the Sarabhai family-owned business conglomerate.
His interests varied from science to sports to statistics. He set up the Operations Research Group (ORG), the first market research organization in the country. Most notable among the many institutes he helped set up are theNehru Foundation for Development inAhmedabad, theIndian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA), and theAhmedabad Textile Industry's Research Association (ATIRA). Along with his wifeMrinalini Sarabhai, he founded theDarpana Academy of Performing Arts. Other projects and institutions initiated or established by him include the Fast Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR) inKalpakkam, Variable Energy Cyclotron Project inCalcutta,Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL) inHyderabad and Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL) in Jaduguda,Jharkhand.Sarabhai started a project for the fabrication and launch of an Indian satellite. As a result, the first Indian satellite,Aryabhata, was put in orbit in 1975 from a Russiancosmodrome.[7] He was the founder ofIndian Space Research Organisation.
On 30 December 1971, Sarabhai was to review the SLV design before his departure forBombay the same night. He had spoken toA. P. J. Abdul Kalam on the telephone. Within an hour into the conversation, Sarabhai suffered a fatal cardiac arrest at the age of 52 inTrivandrum. His body was cremated inAhmedabad.
Vikram Sarabhai married the classical dancerMrinalini on 3 September 1942. The couple had two children. His daughterMallika gained prominence as an actress and activist, and his sonKartikeya too became an active person in science. He attendedGujarat College, Ahmedabad, but later moved to theUniversity of Cambridge, England, where he took histripos in natural sciences in 1940.[9] In 1945, he returned to Cambridge to pursue hisPhD and wrote a thesis, "Cosmic Ray Investigations in Tropical Latitudes", in 1947.[9]
On 12 August 2019,Google'sDoodle for India commemorated Sarabhai's 100th birth anniversary.[18]On 30 September 2020,ACK Media along withISRO released a book namely,Vikram Sarabhai: Pioneering India's Space Programme. It was released inAmar Chitra Katha's digital platform and merchandise,ACK Comics.[citation needed]
A 2022 web-seriesRocket Boys was based on the fictionalized lives of Sarabhai andHomi J. Bhabha, played byIshwak Singh andJim Sarbh respectively.
In the 2022 filmRocketry: The Nambi Effect based onNambi Narayanan's life, Sarabhai was played byRajit Kapur in the Hindi version and byRavi Raghavendra in the Tamil version.[19][20][21][22]
The Sarabhais and the Lalbhais, the town's two most prominent entrepreneurial families, were Banias prominent as shroffs.
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