Udupi Ramachandra Rao, known as ‘India’s Satellite Man’, was an Indian space scientist and the Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization between 1984 and 1994. He is also known for leading India’s first satellite launch, Aryabhata, in 1975. Rao died in 2017 due to prolonged illness and age-related health problems.
Contents
Wiki/Biography
Udupi Ramachandra Rao, also known as UR Rao, was born on Thursday, 10 March 1932 (age 85 years at death) in Adamaru, Udupi, Karnataka (then South Canara district, Madras Presidency, British India). happened. His zodiac sign was Pisces. He studied at Christian High School, Udupi and Veerashaiva College, Karnataka. In 1952, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Madras University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu. In 1954, he earned a master’s degree in science from Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi. In 1960, he received a doctorate in philosophy from Gujarat University, Gujarat.
Udupi Ramachandra during his teenage years
Physical Appearance
Hair Color: Semi-bald
Eye colour: black
Family
parents and siblings
Rao’s father’s name was Laxminarayan Acharya, who worked in a hotel. His mother’s name was Krishnaveni Amma. He has two younger brothers, U. Krishnamurthy Rao and Marapalli Govinda Rao, who is an economist.
wife and children
Rao’s wife’s name is Yashoda Rao, who is a scientist.
Udupi Ramachandra Rao’s wife
His son’s name is Madan Rao, who works as faculty at the National Center for Biological Sciences, Bengaluru. His daughter’s name is Mala, who is an architect.
Religion
Rao followed Hindu religion.
Caste
Rao belonged to Brahmin caste.
livelihood
positions held
- Chairman of the Governing Council of the Physical Research Laboratory at Ahmedabad and Nehru Planetarium at Bengaluru
- Chancellor of the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST) in Thiruvananthapuram
- General Secretary of the Indian Science Congress Association, West Bengal (1995)
- Vice-President of the International Astronautical Federation (IAF), Paris (1984–1992)
- Co-Chairman of the National Center for Antarctic and Ocean Research, Goa (2012)
- First Chairman of Prasar Bharati, New Delhi (2002)
- President of Karnataka Academy of Science and Technology
- President of Bangalore Association of Science Education-JNP
- Chancellor of Baba Saheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow
- Member of the Central Board of Directors of the Reserve Bank of India
- Additional Director, Reserve Bank of India Note Printing Private Limited, Bengaluru
- Chairman of the Governing Council of the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune
Rao started working as a teacher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge in 1960 after completing his PhD. After leaving MIT he worked as an assistant professor at the University of Texas at Dallas. He started his career as a scientist when he started working as a cosmic ray scientist under Dr. Vikram Sarabhai after leaving his job as a professor. After returning to India from America in 1966, he joined the Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad as Professor. In 1972 he contributed to the establishment of satellite technology in India. After the death of physicist Vikram Sarabhai in 1972, Rao was put in charge of the satellite Aryabhata.
Udupi Ramachandra with the model of Aryabhata satellite
He led a team of Indian Institute of Science (IISc) students, trained them in the industrial shed at Peenya and successfully launched the satellite Aryabhata in 1975.
Udupi Ramachandra Rao is training other scientists while making Aryabhata
Later, he along with his team members created eighteen other satellites including Bhaskar 1 and 2, Apple, Rohini, INSAT-1 and INSAT-2. In an interview, he talked about India’s contribution in building its own satellites, he said,
This saves the country a lot of money. INSAT 2B, which we launched last month, if we had bought it, we would have had to spend Rs 300 crore in foreign exchange. But it cost us only Rs 78 crore to build it here. We make launch vehicles at least a third cheaper than elsewhere. This is because in high-technology about 70 percent of the cost goes in scientific and engineering man-hours and in India it is much cheaper.
He did much research on the Pioneer and Explorer spacecraft and had theories on the solar cosmic-ray concept and the electromagnetic conditions of interplanetary space. He contributed to the creation of INSAT satellites which became popular in the 1980s and 1990s. INSAT satellites provided telecommunications to many remote areas of India. In 1985, he joined the Space Commission as a Chairman and the Department of Space as a Secretary, where he began researching rocket technology. In 1992, he led the construction of the ASLV rocket. In 1991 he created the geostationary launch vehicle GSLV and cryogenic technology. In 1995, he built the PSLV launch vehicle which carried a satellite weighing 850 kg into orbit. In an interview, he talked about the first failed PSLV launch vehicle mission in 1993 and said,
In our opinion the launch was 90 percent successful. But space is an unforgiving business. An error of even one percent is enough for us to fail in the mission objective of launching a satellite into orbit. But this is our biggest scale-up to date in terms of new technology. And all the major motors performed beautifully. The critical sequences went through Earth’s atmosphere without interruption in the most heavily powered stage.
He became the first Chairman of Antrix Corporation, the commercial arm of ISRO. He became a Fellow of several academic institutions including the Indian Academy of Sciences, Bengaluru, the Indian National Science Academy, New Delhi, the National Academy of Sciences, Uttar Pradesh, the Institute of Electronics and Telecommunications Engineers, Chandigarh, the International Academy of Astronautics, Paris and the International Academy of Sciences, Paris. Third World Academy of Sciences, Italy. In June 1997, he was Chairman of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UN-COPUOS) and the UNISPACE-III Conference. In April 2007, he was the Chairman of the 30th International Antarctic Treaty Advisory Committee meeting held in Delhi. He wrote three books, including ‘Perspectives in Communications’ (1987), ‘Space and Agenda 21 – Caring for Planet Earth’ (1995), and ‘Space Technology for Sustainable Development (1996).’ Reportedly, he published more than 350 scientific and technical papers on subjects such as cosmic rays, astronomy, space applications, satellite and rocket technology.
Awards, Honors, Achievements
- Padma Vibhushan (2017)
Udupi Ramachandra Rao receiving Padma Vibhushan
- He received the Life Time Achievement Award instituted by Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, ISRO and the Astronautical Society of India (ASI).
- On 19 March 2013, he received the Satellite Hall of Fame, Washington, becoming the first Indian to receive the honor at a ceremony organized by the Society of Satellite Professionals International.
- Electronics Man of the Year Award by ELCINA (1994)
- Jawaharlal Nehru Award (1995)
- Press Bureau of India Award (2003)
- Group Achievement Award by NASA, USA (1973)
- Frank J. Malina Award (1994)
- Eduard Dolezal Award of ISPRS (2000)
- Theodore von Karman Award (2005)
- In 2004, he was ranked among the top 10 international personalities for bringing about change in the civil, commerce and military sectors in the world since 1989 by the American magazine, Space News.
Note: He won many other national and international awards.
Death
Rao died on 24 July 2017 in Indiranagar, Bengaluru, Karnataka due to prolonged illness and age-related health problems.
Facts/General Knowledge
- His neighbours, friends and family members affectionately knew him as Rao Bhava and Ramudu.
- Rao was interested in science since childhood. He wanted to become an emergency commissioned officer in the armed forces after completing his education. When he began his PhD under physicist Vikram Sarabhai, he advised him to do research and choose a field of science.
Udupi Ramachandra Rao during his college days
- In the 1970s and 1980s, two rupee notes carried the image of the Aryabhatta satellite launched in 1975.
Two rupee note with picture of Aryabhatta satellite
- In 1992, the Bengaluru Police Commissioner informed Rao that he had escaped kidnapping by some people who wanted to become famous by kidnapping Rao.
- In 2004, a report made by Rao caused controversy as he proposed a 30 percent reduction in annual fees in Indian management institutes. Talking about this in an interview, he said,
Private self-financing institutions are charging a lot of money. For example, in Chennai, the fees paid by a student for medical seats was Rs 30 lakh! Directors of various medical institutions, they also offer something called package deals. That means you make an advance payment of Rs 1 crore and you will get a guaranteed MD or MS degree in seven years. What kind of nonsense is this! I mean, unless you have black money, who can buy that kind of money?”
- Several universities, including Mysore (1976), Calcutta (1981), University of Bologna (Italy) (1992), and Madras (Anna University) (1994), awarded him honorary Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) degrees.
- On 15 May 2016, he was introduced as a member of the International Astronautical Federation (IAF).
- On March 10, 2021, Google paid its respect to Rao by creating a Google Doodle on his 89th birthday. In the description, it wrote, ‘Your stellar technological advances are being felt across the galaxy.’
Google Doodle pays tribute to Udupi Ramachandra Rao
- Some ISRO members reported that Rao had visited the ISRO headquarters office before his death in 2017.
- Rao liked playing cricket.
Udupi Ramachandra Rao is playing cricket
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn