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Obituary: UR Rao – pioneering satellite technologist and proponent of ‘ISRO Culture’

Published

9 years ago

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UR Rao

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]~By Dinesh C Sharma

The Indian Space Research Organistaion (ISRO) is today counted among the best space agencies globally. Much of the credit for this goes to UR Rao who helped the agency master technology for making complex communication, weather and remote sensing satellites with limited resources and difficult circumstances such as technology denial.

Having started his career as a doctoral student of Vikram Sarabhai in 1954 at Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) in Ahmedabad, Udupi Ramachandra Rao spent his scientific career spanning almost half a century for developing and nurturing the Indian space programme. After a brief stint in America as a postdoc at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Rao returned to India at the behest of Sarabhai.

Throughout the 1960s, Sarabhai was feverishly trying to put together a plan for developing space technology applications in India after having successfully set up the sounding rocket facility at Thumba in Kerala. He asked Rao, who had worked on spacecraft systems while being at NASA, to prepare a blueprint for development of space technology in India. Then he asked Rao to implement the plan. The rest of Rao’s life was spent in doing so, beginning with the fabrication of India’s first satellite – Aryabhata – launched in April 1975.

Aryabhata, weighing 358 kg, was built from scratch by a young team of engineers and scientists put together by Rao at a newly created facility in the Peenya industrial estate in Bangalore. The facility later became the ISRO Satellite Centre with Rao as its founding director. The Soviets launched Aryabhata from the Kapustin Yar Cosmodrome, without charging any fee, purely as a friendly gesture. This was followed by launch of Bhaskara 1 and 2, and Rohini series of satellites.

If Aryabhata got a free launch from the Soviet Union, the first experimental communication satellite – Ariane Passenger Payload Experiment (APPLE) – was launched for free on a development flight of Ariane vehicle of European Space Agency (ESA) from Kourou in 1981.

The American media ridiculed India’s foray into space when it was ridden with other problems as poverty. News weekly, Newsweek, carried a picture of APPLE being transported from the hanger to test center in a bullock cart with a caption ‘Collision of Centuries’. Many years later, Rao explained in an interview why the satellite was carried on a bullock cart: “We had to ship the satellite for EMC (Electromagnetic Interference/Capability) testing, and trucks made of metals were throwing off reflections that were affecting the satellite’s antenna. Then somebody hit on the idea of a bullock cart, which is made of wood. It worked perfectly.” 

With the experience gained from building experimental satellites in the 1970s, Rao came up with an ambitious idea of building larger communication, remote sensing and multi-purpose satellites with practical applications. Thus were born the legendary series of Indian satellites in the 1980s – the INSAT (Indian National Satellite) and IRS (India Remote Sensing Satellite) – which provided communication, broadcasting, weather and earth observation services to a variety of Indian users. Thus within two decades, Rao could demonstrate the applicability of space technology for national development, as envisioned by his mentor Sarabhai. This is despite the problems Rao was facing in the 1980s with successive failures of Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle (ASLV).

In all, over 20 satellites were designed and launched under his guidance. Besides laying the foundation for self-reliance in satellite building, Rao is credited with building a new way of executing complex technology project – which many call the ‘ISRO Culture’. All space projects are complex, challenging, multi-disciplinary, time-critical, and – in the case of India – have to be executed with limited budget. Rao mastered this art. Leveraging his experience of working with NASA, Rao introduced a matrix management structure for managing projects by ensuring optimal use of available resources. The ISRO culture encompasses decentralized decision making for technology development, systems engineering, quality assurance, peer review and thorough failure assessment. Actually this is what differentiates ISRO from other scientific agencies in India.   

Rao came from a humble background. He was born in Udupi in Karnataka. “I saw a train for the first time when I had to go to Bellary for Intermediate. I had never seen a train because no trains used to come to Udupi. They used to come to Mangalore, which is about 58 km from Udupi. Udupi was a taluka at that time, but there were four rivers, at each river you had to take a boat to cross and then take another one. It was a big effort going to Bangalore from Udupi,” Rao had recalled in an interview a few years ago.

He first thought of space technology while doing M. Sc. at Banaras Hindu University. “I said I wanted to be a space scientist. I was not sure my own professor would have welcomed it because at that time space was not a hot subject, but I had a dream. The main thing is we must dream and then you have to just dedicate yourself for that.” (India Science Wire)[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Vijay to take oath as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister after TVK secures majority

Actor-turned-politician Vijay is set to become Tamil Nadu Chief Minister after the Governor cleared the formation of a TVK-led government.

Published

11 hours ago

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May 9, 2026

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Actor vijay

Actor-turned-politician Vijay is set to take oath as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu after days of intense political negotiations following the Assembly election results.

The swearing-in ceremony is scheduled to take place on Sunday at Chennai’s Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium after Governor R. V. Arlekar cleared the formation of a government led by the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK).

TVK emerged as the single largest party in the 234-member Assembly but initially fell short of the majority mark. The party required support from additional legislators to cross the 118-seat threshold needed to form the government.

The breakthrough came after support from parties including the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), Congress, CPI and CPI(M), helping Vijay stake a stronger claim before the Governor. Reports said the Governor held multiple rounds of discussions with Vijay before formally approving the oath ceremony.

The development marks a major political shift in Tamil Nadu, where Dravidian parties had dominated state politics for decades. Vijay’s TVK contested its first Assembly election and managed to emerge as a key force in the state.

Earlier uncertainty over the oath ceremony had triggered speculation after Raj Bhavan reportedly sought proof of majority support from the TVK leadership. Vijay met the Governor several times over the past few days amid efforts to secure backing from alliance partners and independent MLAs.

With the numbers now appearing to be in place, preparations for the swearing-in ceremony have intensified in Chennai ahead of Vijay formally taking charge as Chief Minister.

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PM Modi to visit Hyderabad in first Telangana trip since 2024 Lok Sabha victory

PM Modi will visit Hyderabad on May 10 in his first Telangana trip since the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and unveil projects worth over Rs 7,800 crore.

Published

12 hours ago

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May 9, 2026

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PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Hyderabad on May 10 to launch and inaugurate projects worth over Rs 7,800 crore while addressing a major BJP public meeting in Secunderabad

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Hyderabad on Saturday in his first trip to Telangana after returning to power for a third term following the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The visit is expected to combine infrastructure announcements with a major political outreach programme ahead of upcoming local body elections in the state.

During the visit, the Prime Minister will inaugurate and lay foundation stones for multiple development projects collectively valued at around Rs 7,823 crore. Among the key projects is the integrated industrial smart city at Zaheerabad under the Hyderabad-Nagpur Industrial Corridor, being developed at a cost of Rs 2,360 crore across 3,245 acres.

PM Modi is also scheduled to inaugurate the PM MITRA Kakatiya Mega Textile Park in Warangal. The project, estimated at nearly Rs 1,695 crore, is expected to attract major investments and generate employment opportunities in the textile and apparel sector.

Railway, highway and petroleum infrastructure projects are also part of the programme. These include the third railway line between Kazipet and Vijayawada and national highway works in Mahabubnagar district. A petroleum storage and distribution terminal in Hyderabad is also expected to be inaugurated.

Apart from official engagements, the Prime Minister will visit HITEC City to inaugurate Sindhu Hospital and interact with healthcare professionals before addressing a large public gathering at Parade Grounds in Secunderabad organised by the BJP’s Telangana unit.

The BJP has planned an extensive mobilisation drive for the event and is expecting a crowd of nearly two lakh people. The meeting is being seen as an important political show of strength as the party prepares for the upcoming Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation elections.

Security arrangements have also been tightened ahead of the Prime Minister’s visit, with restrictions imposed on drones, paragliders and microlight aircraft in parts of Hyderabad and Secunderabad.

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Punjab minister Sanjeev Arora arrested by ED after raids in money laundering probe

Punjab minister Sanjeev Arora was arrested by the ED after raids at multiple premises linked to him in Chandigarh and Delhi-NCR under the PMLA.

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12 hours ago

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May 9, 2026

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ED conducted searches at multiple locations linked to Punjab minister Sanjeev Arora before arresting him under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act

Punjab minister and AAP leader Sanjeev Arora was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday after the agency carried out raids at premises linked to him in Chandigarh and the Delhi-NCR region.

According to officials, the searches were conducted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. The ED reportedly raided four locations connected to Arora and his associates before taking him into custody from his official residence in Chandigarh’s Sector 2.

Arora, 62, is the Aam Aadmi Party MLA from Ludhiana West and currently serves as a minister in the Punjab government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.

Reports said this is the third time this year that the ED has conducted action linked to Arora. Earlier raids were also carried out in April and earlier this month as part of an ongoing investigation.

The arrest triggered strong political reactions from the Aam Aadmi Party. AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal criticised the BJP-led Centre, alleging misuse of central agencies against opposition leaders. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann also attacked the BJP, saying Punjab would not be intimidated by such actions.

Several reports linked the ED action to an alleged money laundering probe connected to suspected fake GST transactions worth around ₹100 crore. However, the ED has not yet released a detailed official statement publicly outlining all allegations against the minister.

The arrest comes amid heightened political tensions in Punjab, where opposition parties and the ruling AAP have repeatedly clashed over corruption allegations and the use of investigative agencies.

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