Bengaluru sources have made a statement that renowned space scientist and former ISRO Chairman U R Rao, who was the brain behind India's first satellite Aryabhata and guided the country's key space programs, died here on Monday due to age related ailments.
Sources have stated that the 85-year-old passed away at his residence here. "Rao breathed his last around 3 am," Indian Space Research Organization Public Relations Director Deviprasad Karnik said. Rao is survived by wife, a son and a daughter.
Meanwhile it was stated that from India's humble space programme Aryabhata in 1975 to its missions to the Moon (Chandrayan-1) and Mars (Mangalyan) and the proposed Aditya solar mission, Rao was involved in all ISRO's key programs till date in one capacity or the other.
He is credited with playing a pivotal role in establishing satellite technology that saw the launch of a wide array of satellites, including Bhaskara, APPLE, Rohini, INSAT-1 and INSAT-2 series of multipurpose communication and meteorological satellites, IRS-1A, IRS-1B , IRS-1C and 1D remote sensing satellites.
