Science News Desk!!! Satish Dhawan (English: Satish Dhawan, born- September 25, 1920; death- January 3, 2002) was a famous rocket scientist of India. He had a very important contribution in taking the country’s space program to new heights. Apart from being a great scientist, Professor Satish Dhawan was also an excellent human being and a skilled teacher. He had great faith in Indian talents. Satish Dhawan was given the responsibility of the country’s space program after Vikram Sarabhai. He was also appointed the Chairman of ‘ISRO’. Professor Dhawan had made many positive changes in the Indian Institute of Science. He included young talents from not only his own country but also from abroad in the institute. He also started many new departments and inspired students to do research in diverse fields. It was only due to the efforts of Satish Dhawan that the dream of communication satellite INSAT, remote sensing satellite IRS and Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV could come true.
birth and education
Professor Satish Dhawan was born in Srinagar. The details of his education are as follows-
Punjab University, Lahore (in then undivided India and now Pakistan)-
BA in Mathematics and Physics M.A. in English Literature BE in Mechanical Engineering, 1945 University of Minnesota, Minneapolis – MS in Aeronautical Engineering, 1947 California Institute of Technology Aeronautical Engineer degree, 1949 PhD in Aeronautics and Mathematics, 1951
He succeeded the father of the Indian space programme, Vikram Sarabhai, as the Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) in 1972. He was also the Chairman of the Space Commission and Secretary to the Department of Space, Government of India. In the decade following his appointment, he guided the Indian space program through a period of extraordinary growth and spectacular achievements.
Achievements
Even when Satish Dhawan was the Chairman of the Indian Space Programme, he devoted considerable effort to boundary layer research. His most important contribution is presented in Herman Schlichting’s original book ‘Boundary Letter’. He was a popular professor at the ‘Indian Institute of Science’ (IISc), Bangalore. He is credited with setting up India’s first supersonic wind tunnel at IISc. He also pioneered research on separated boundary layer flows, three-dimensional boundary layers and re-layering of trisonic flows.
Satish Dhawan carried out pioneering experiments on rural education, remote sensing and satellite communications. His efforts led to operational systems like INSAT-a telecommunication satellite, IRS-the Indian remote sensing satellite and the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), which placed India in the league of spacefaring nations.
demise
After the death of Satish Dhawan in 2002, about 100 km north of Chennai, South India. The ‘Indian Satellite Launch Centre’ located at Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, was renamed as ‘Professor Satish Dhawan Space Centre’.
national recognition
Padma Vibhushan, Indira Gandhi Award
Area
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
institute
Indian Space Research Organisation, Indian Institute of Science, California Institute of Technology, National Aerospace Laboratories, Indian Academy of Sciences and Indian Space Commission
doctoral advisor
Dr. Hans W. Famous for Lipman
Indian space program
career
Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India Senior Scientific Officer, 1951 Professor and Chairman, Department of Aeronautical Engineering, 1955 Director, 1962-1981 California Institute of Technology, USA Visiting Professor, 1971-1972 National Aerospace Laboratories, Bangalore, India Chairman, Research Council, 1984-1993 Indian Academy of Sciences President, 1977-1979 Indian Space Research Organization Chairman, 1972-1984 Indian Space Commission Chairman, 1972-1984
award
Padma Vibhushan – (India’s second highest civilian honour), 1981 Indira Gandhi National Unity Award, 1999 Distinguished Alumnus Award, Indian Science Resources Distinguished Alumnus Award, California Institute of Technology, 1969
