Son of
Ambalal Sarabhai, he came from the well-known
Sarabhai family from India who were major industrialists committed to the
Indian independence movement. Vikram Sarabhai married the classical dancer
Mrinalini in 1942. The couple had two children. His daughter
Mallika gained prominence as an actress and activist, and his son
Kartikeya too became an active person in science. During his lifetime, he practiced
Jainism.[2] He attended
Gujarat College, Ahmedabad, but later moved to the
University of Cambridge, England, where he took his
tripos in natural sciences in 1940.[3] In 1945 he returned to Cambridge to pursue his
PhD and wrote a thesis, "Cosmic Ray Investigations in Tropical Latitudes", in 1947.[3]
Known as the cradle of space sciences in India, the
Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) was founded in 1947 by Vikram Sarabhai.[4] PRL had a modest beginning at his residence, the "RETREAT", with research on
cosmic rays.
The institute was formally established at the M.G. Science Institute, Ahmedabad, on 11 November 1947[5] with support from the Karmkshetra Educational Foundation and the
Ahmedabad Education Society.
Kalpathi Ramakrishna Ramanathan was the first Director of the institute. The initial focus was research on
cosmic rays and the
properties of the
upper atmosphere. Research areas were expanded to include
theoretical physics and
radio physics later with grants from the Atomic Energy Commission.
He led the Sarabhai family-owned business conglomerate.
On 30 December 1971, Sarabhai was to review the SLV design before his departure for
Bombay the same night. He had spoken to
A. P. J. Abdul Kalam on the telephone. Within an hour of the conversation, Sarabhai died at the age of 52 due to
cardiac arrest in Trivandrum (now
Thiruvananthapuram). His body was cremated in
Ahmedabad.
The
Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, (VSSC), which is the Indian Space Research Organization's lead facility for launch vehicle development located in
Thiruvananthapuram (
Trivandrum), capital of Kerala state, is named in his memory.
The lander on India's Moon mission
Chandrayaan-2 which was to land near the South Pole of the Moon on Sep 20, 2019 was named Vikram in his honour.
Vikram A Sarabhai Community Science Centre (VASCSC) located in Ahmedabad, Gujarat is named after him. Vikram Sarabhai established this institute around the 1960s.
Former World Quiz Champion
Vikram Joshi was named after him.
A Space Museum was dedicated to him at
B M Birla Science Centre, Hyderabad on 26 July 2019. The museum was curated by Pranav Sharma.[11][12]
On his 100th birthday on 12 August 2019, the
Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) announced an award in the name of Vikram Sarabhai. The Vikram Sarabhai Journalism award in Space Science Technology and Research will be given to those journalists who have contributed to the fields of space science, applications, and research.[13]
In popular culture
On 12 August 2019,
Google's
Doodle for India commemorated Sarabhai's 100th birth anniversary.[14]
On 30 September 2020,
ACK Media along with
ISRO released a book namely, Vikram Sarabhai: Pioneering India's Space Programme. It was released in
Amar Chitra Katha's digital platform and merchandise,
ACK Comics.[citation needed]
^"Jains steal the show with 7 Padmas". The times of India.
Times of India. 9 April 2015. Retrieved 9 December 2015. The Jain community has always nurtured exceptional talent whether it is eminent scientist Vikram Sarabhai, who is considered the father of the country's space program, or poet, thinker and spiritual leader Banarsidas who composed the magnum opus Ardhakathanaka, the first-ever autobiography in Hindi literature.
^"BRIEF HISTORY". Physical Research Laboratory, Department of Space, Government of India. Archived from
the original on 8 April 2016. Retrieved 28 March 2016.