Father of India's Space Programme and great scientist Padma Bhushan Vikram Sarabhai

Father of India's Space Programme and great scientist Padma Bhushan Vikram Sarabhai died on this day in 1971.

• He was born on August 12, 1919. 

• He was born in an affluent family of industrialists and was one of the eight children of Ambalal and Sarla Devi.

• From a young age, Sarabhai developed a deep interest in science and mathematics.

• He wanted to conduct research on cosmic rays, which was something he undertook on the advice of the eminent scientist C.V. Raman. 

• His first scientific paper 'Time Distribution of Cosmic Rays' was published in 1942.

• One of his first milestones was establishing the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) in Ahmedabad on November 11, 1947. He was only 28 at that time. Sarabhai served for PRL from 1966-1971.

• He also served as a Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission. 

• Along with other Ahmedabad-based industrialists, he played a major role in the creation of the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad.

• The year 1957-1958 was designated as International Geo-physical year (IGY). The Indian programme for the IGY had been one of the most significant ventures of Sarabhai. This gave him exposure to new vistas of space science with the launching of Sputnik-I in 1957. 

• Subsequently, the Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR) was formed, under his chairmanship.

• He founded the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) which eventually became the largest government space agency in the world. He convinced the government of the importance of a space programme after the Russian Sputnik launch.

• Dr. Homi Jehangir Bhabha, widely regarded as the father of India's nuclear science program, supported Dr. Sarabhai in setting up the first rocket launching station in India. 

• This centre was established at Thumba near Thiruvananthapuram on the coast of the Arabian Sea, primarily because of its proximity to the equator.