Vikram Sarabhai: The Visionary Behind India’s Space Journey
Vikram Sarabhai: The Visionary Behind India’s Space Journey
Just as Gandhiji is the father of the nation, Vikram Sarabhai is the father of the Indian Space Research Organization and can be considered the father of the space program.
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| Vikram Sarabhai: Building India’s Path to Space |
Why is Vikram Sarabhai called the father of the space program?
ISRO vs SUPARCO
When the country was fighting poverty and hunger, spending money on the space program was an idea neither the government nor the people could understand. But Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru listened to Vikram Sarabhai and Homi Jhangir Bhabha. Vikram Sarabhai felt that if India wanted to be in a good position in the future, it should join the race of the space program.
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| Jawaharla Nehru, Homi J. Bhabha, Vikram Sarabhai From Bicycle to Mars: ISRO's Journey |
Sarabhai’s Role
- INCOSPAR (1962): Sarabhai convinced the government to form this committee, starting India’s space efforts.
- ISRO (1969): He formalized India’s space agency, focusing on practical applications like satellites.
- TERLS (1963): Established near Thiruvananthapuram, it was India’s first rocket launch site.
- Aryabhata (1975): Planned under Sarabhai, it marked India’s space entry, named after an ancient Indian astronomer.
- Philosophy: He prioritized space tech for development, not just prestige, setting ISRO’s unique path.
Founding the Space Program: Sarabhai believed space technology could uplift India. In 1962, he established the Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR), laying the groundwork for space exploration. By 1969, he founded ISRO, with a bold vision: use satellites to improve communication, education, and weather forecasting for rural areas. His “leapfrogging” idea meant adopting advanced tech to solve real-world problems fast.
Launching India’s First Satellite: Sarabhai’s leadership led to Aryabhata, India’s first satellite, launched in 1975 with Soviet support. Though he passed away in 1971, his plans made it happen. He also set up the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) in 1963, enabling India’s early rocket experiments.
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| 1972 Indian Stamp |
Vikram Sarabhai cannot be described in a few words; how great he was. He gave wings to many youth to fly, one of them is Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Ji. Apart from being a great scientist, he was also a great human being. His achievements will always help India move forward. Today, ISRO is making a different identity in the whole world. It is moving ahead with thousands of satellites, a Mars mission, a Chandrayaan mission, an Aditya mission, and countless achievements.
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