U.R Rao,former cheif and genial genius of ISRO passes away

Udupi Ramachandra Rao,former chairman of ISRO (Indian space research organisation) ,acclaimed space scientist as the father of indian satellite technology, is no more.He is the best remember as the man who gave the country its first spacecraft Aryabhata.

Rao was awarded the Padma Bhushan by the Government of India in 1976. He was awarded Padma Vibhushan in 2017. He was inducted into the Satellite Hall of Fame, Washington, on 19 March 2013 at a ceremony organised by the Society of Satellite Professionals International.

Early life

U. R. Rao was born at Adamaru in the state of Karnataka. His parents were Lakshminarayana Acharya and Krishnaveni Amma. He had his primary education at Adamaru. He completed his secondary education from Christian High School, Udupi. He completed his B.Sc in Government Arts and Science College, Anantpur, M.Sc from Banaras Hindu University and Ph.D at Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad under the guidance of Dr. Vikram Sarabhai

Education

• Ph.D. – Gujarat University, 1960

• M.Sc. – Banaras Hindu University, 1954

• B.Sc. – Madras University, 1952

After working as a Faculty Member at MIT and Assistant Professor at University of Texas at Dallas where he carried out investigations as a prime experimenter on a number of Pioneer and Explorer spacecraft,Rao returned to India in 1966 as a professor at the Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad

Books authored

• U. R. Rao, K. Kasturirangan, K. R. Sridhara Murthi. and Surendra Pal (Editors), "Perspectives in Communications", World Scientific (1987). ISBN 978-9971-978-76-1

• U. R. Rao, "Space and Agenda 21 - Caring for Planet Earth", Prism Books Pvt. Ltd., Bangalore (1995).

• U. R. Rao, "Space Technology for Sustainable Development", Tata McGraw-Hill Pub., New Delhi (1996)