Prof UR Rao laid solid foundation for India's satellite programme

ODAY, Bengaluru boasts of ultra-clean and sophisticated facilities for building satellites and the more capable robotic spacecraft for exploring worlds beyond the earth.

- Dr BR GURUPRASAD

In fact, facilities where a satellite is skilfully assembled, tested and gets ready to travel to the launch centre exist under one roof in a sprawling building complex near the HAL Airport which forms part of ISRO's UR Rao Satellite Centre (URSC).

Satellites and robotic spacecraft that took final form in URSC, including INSAT and IRS series of satellites as well as more resilient robotic spacecraft like Chandrayaan-1, 2 and 3, Mars Orbiter Mission (aka Mangalyaan) and Aditya-L1 have served (and continue to serve) the country well through their invaluable service and conspicuous achievements.

Thus, it is not an exaggeration to say that satellites have now become an integral part of our economic infrastructure and are contributing to the comprehensive security of our country. Today, about 50 communications, weather watching, cartographic/resource survey and navigation satellites are serving the country.

Firm foundation In this context, it is difficult to believe that the endeavour to build India's first satellite began in 1972 in the Industrial sheds of Peenya, then a developing industrial estate outside Bengaluru. But that is how the genesis of the Indian satellite programme occurred under the mercurial leadership of Prof Udupi Ramachandra Rao, better known as UR Rao, a protégé of Dr Vikram Sarabhai, the architect of the Indian space programme. Overawed by his persona, Prof UR Rao was and still is respectfully and fondly referred to simply as 'Prof Rao' in the Indian space fraternity.