‘India’s Satellite Man’ Udupi Ramachandra Rao
The alluring space scientist credited for the launch of India’s first satellite has endlessly inspired generations through his invaluable contributions. A man of achievements, Udupi Ramachandra Rao was an Indian space scientist and was the director of ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization) satellite program from 1972-1984 and the chairman of the organization from 1984 until 1994. He managed the launch of India’s first satellite — “Aryabhata.” 1975 and was also the chairman of the governing council of the Physical Research Laboratory at Ahmedabad the chancellor of IIST (Indian Institute for Space Science and Technology at Thiruvananthapuram.
Ramachandra Rao was a recipient of the Padma Bhushan award in 1976 and the highest civilian honors Padma Vibhushan in 2017 by the government of India. he became the first Indian to be inducted into the Satellite Hall of Fame Washington on 19th March 2013 at a ceremony organized by the Society of Satellite Professional International, the same year that PSLV launched India’s first interplanetary mission—“Mangalyaan”—a satellite that orbits Mars today. Rao on 15th May 2016, became the first Indian to be inducted in the IAF (International Astronautics Federation) on He had published a vast number of scientific and technical papers covering interplanetary physics, high energy astronomy, space applications, cosmic rays, and satellite and rocket technology and authored many books.
Born on 10th March 1932 in Adamaru, Karnataka state. His father was Lakshminarayana Acharya and his mother Krishnaveni Amma. Google had celebrated the 89th birthday of the Indian professor and scientist Udupi Ramachandra Rao was celebrated by Google remembering as “India’s Satellite Man.” The doodle shaped a sketch of Professor Rao having the Earth and shooting stars in the background. “Your stellar technological advancements continue to be felt across the galaxy,” Google wrote in its description.
Hailing from a small village near Udupi to the chairman of ISRO Rao has experienced such an achievement. He had initiated his studies from Adamaru and completed his secondary education at Christian High School, Udupi. He was a graduate of B.Sc. in Government Arts and Science College, Anantapur, and holding his Masters from Banaras Hindu University and at Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad he pursued his Ph.D. with the support of Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, a scientist widely known as the father of India’s space program.
“After completing his doctorate, Prof Rao brought his talents to the US, where he worked as a professor and conducted experiments on NASA’s Pioneer and Explorer space probes,” the description on Google Doodle’s website reads.
Coming back to India in 1966, he began with a high-energy astronomy program at the Physical Research Laboratory, India’s premier institution for space sciences, before leading his country’s satellite program in 1972. From 1984 to 1994, Prof. Rao continued to drive his nation’s space program to extreme heights as the chairman of India’s Space Research Organization. Later on in his career, he appeared as the chairman of Karnataka Science and Technology Academy, the Chairman of Bangalore Association of Science Education-JNP, and Chancellor of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University. He passed away on 24th July 2017 due to age-related issues.
‘India’s Satellite Man ‘on his birth anniversary we the Indians must be proud to have such a man with his phenomenal contributions.
