New Delhi: ISRO is celebrating the 106th Birth Anniversary of Vikram Sarabhai, who was the first Chairman of ISRO after its founding on 15 August, 1969. The Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) in Thiruvananthapuram is driving India’s ambitious Gaganyaan programme to lift humans to Earth orbit using domestic hardware. There are many pieces of India’s space hardware named after Sarabhai, including the Vikram series of rockets by New Space startup Skyroot Aerospace, the Vikram Moon lander by ISRO that successfully demonstrated soft landing capabilities on an extraterrestrial surface, the Vikas engines used by ISRO in its rockets is a contraction of Vikram Ambalal Sarabhai, and ISRO along with the Semiconductor Laboratory (SCL) has developed the Vikram processor.
We remember Dr Vikram Sarabhai on his 106th Birth Anniversary.
Dr. Sarabhai was an emblematic figure who bridged India’s past and future, advancing technological solutions while retaining local identity and humanistic values. pic.twitter.com/c6JenxYdIU
— PRL Ahmedabad (@PRLAhmedabad) August 12, 2025
On his 106th birth anniversary, we celebrate Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, the visionary who ignited India’s space journey.
His belief in applying space science for societal benefit continues to shape the nation’s space programme.
As we approach National Space Day, his legacy endures.… pic.twitter.com/jg1AMPRe5X
— ISRO (@isro) August 12, 2025
Remembering the 106th birth anniversary of Dr. Vikram Sarabhai — the visionary who built institutions in space, atomic energy, management, textiles & arts.
A true nation builder whos contributions continues to inspire us.
Though I never met him, his legacy shaped our journey at… pic.twitter.com/QaBmcAP63F— Dr. S Somanath (@SomanathSpeak) August 12, 2025
https://t.co/2Wt5wJEjmT
— Chandra (tckb) (@this_is_tckb) August 12, 2025
ISRO and former ISRO Chairman S Somanath both remembered Sarabhai on his 106th birth anniversary. Independent researcher and blogger Chandra Tungathurthi has released an interactive visualisation of the Sarabhai crater on the Moon. The visualisation works on smartphones as well, and is made using data captured by ISRO’s Chandrayaan 2 orbiter. Skyroot Aerospace, that has named its Vikram series of launch vehicles in honour of Sarabhai, posted on X, “Building indigenous capabilities to reach space isn’t just our mission — it’s our duty. Because India must be second to none. Honoring Dr. Vikram Sarabhai — the visionary who ignited India’s space journey and inspired our Vikram-series launch vehicles — on his 106th birth anniversary.”
A space pioneer
Vikram Sarabhai was responsible for setting the pace and direction of India’s space programme. Right from its inception, ISRO has been focused on providing the maximum benefit to as many people as possible from space technologies, with a vision of using space for development at a grassroots level. ISRO continues to achieve the goals set by Sarabhai decades ago. From his childhood, Sarabhai had a deep interest in fundamental science, and established the Physical Research Laboratory in Ahmedabad, after returning from studies at Cambridge in 1947. Sarabhai died an untimely death from cardiac arrest on 30 December, 1971.