SARABHAI CRATER

Subject: Science and tech

Context:

ISRO recently released some images of the Moon captured by Chandrayaan-2 and one of the craters has been named after Vikram Sarabhai, the father of the Indian space programme

Concept:

• Sarabhai crater is about 250 to 300 kilometres east of the crater where the Apollo 17 and Luna 21 Missions previously landed.
• The Sarabhai crater, captured in 3D images, has a depth of around 1.7 kilometres.
• The Sarabhai crater is eight kilometres in diameter, and located in the Mare Serenitatis in the Northeast quadrant of the Moon. The crater was previously known as Bessel A.
• The Mare Serenitatis is one of the lunar maria which are vast lava plains on the moon that were formed between 3.9 and 3.8 thousand million years ago.
• It was during this period when the Moon was heavily bombarded by asteroids and the major impact basins on the Moon were formed.
• This was followed by an episode of lunar volcanism that flooded the basin with basalt creating a fresh and flat surface.

VIKRAM SARABHAI

• Based on his persuasion, the Indian government agreed to set up the Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR)in 1962. Sarabhai was the first chairman of the committee.
• The INCOSPAR was restructured and renamed as Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in 1969.
• Sarabhai founded the Physical Research Laboratory in Ahmedabad in the year 1947. The laboratory started its operation from RETREAT, Sarabhai’s residence in Ahmedabad. Its first topic of research was cosmic rays.
• He also set up India’s first rocket launch site in Thumba, a small village near the Thiruvananthapuram airport in Kerala.
• Vikram Sarabhai was also responsible for bringing cable television to India. His constant contact with NASA paved a way for the establishment of Satellite Instructional Television Experiment (SITE) in 1975.
• Sarabhai was the mastermind behind building India’s first satellite, Aryabhata.
• He was one of the founding members of the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIMA).
• Vikram Sarabhai received the Padma Bhushanin 1966 for his contribution to India’s progress. He was also awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 1972, posthumously.