We reached stars as he gave vision! 9 key facts about Vikram Sarabhai on his 49th death anniversary

"To us there is no ambiguity of purpose. We are convinced that if we are to play a meaningful role nationally, we must be second to none in the application of advanced technologies to the real problems of the man and society," a man once said.. And the world today knows him as the Father of Indian Space Programme!

Today marks the 49th death anniversary of one of the greatest scientists in the country, Vikram Sarabhai. This visionary scientist who is also known as the father of the Indian Space Program is responsible for initiating space research and nuclear power development. Born on August 12, 1919, the genius attended Gujarat College, Ahmedabad, but later shifted to the University of Cambridge, England. He found the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) IN 1947. The PRL is also known as the cradle of space sciences in India.

Let's remember Sarabhai with these 9 lesser known facts today-

1. Vikram 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 Russian Cosmodrome.

2. The establishment of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) was one of his greatest achievements. The Sarabhai family was an influential and rich business family.

3. The Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) at Thiruvananthapuram is the major centre of ISRO, where the design and development activities of satellite launch vehicles and sounding rockets are carried out and made ready for launch operations.

4. He was interested in science education and founded a Community Science Centre at Ahmedabad in 1966. Today, the Centre is called the Vikram A Sarabhai Community Science Centre.

5. Sarabhai also set up the Nehru Foundation for Development in Ahmedabad, the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, the Ahmedabad Textile Industry's Research Association (ATIRA) and CEPT among other notable institutes.

6. Vikram was honoured with the Padma Bhushan in 1966 and the Padma Vibhushan (posthumously) in 1972. He was also Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission.

7. He was a great institution builder and established or helped to establish a large number of institutions in diverse fields.

8. The lander on India's moon mission Chandrayaan-2 which was to land near the South Pole of the moon on September 20, 2019, was named Vikram in his honour.

9. To pay homage to the father of India's space programme, ISRO has also announced an award in his name on his 100th birthday.