The COSPAR Vikram Sarabhai Medal for the year 2024 is awarded to Prof. Anil Bhardwaj, Director, Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Ahmedabad. The award was presented by the President of COSPAR, Prof. Pascale Ehrenfreund, and Vice-Presidents, Profs. Catherine Cesarsky and Pietro Ubertini, at the 45^th COSPAR Scientific Assembly in Busan, Korea, on 15 July 2024.

This award is jointly given by COSPAR (Committee on Space Research, an International body affiliated to the International Science Council and United Nations through UNCOPUS) and ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization), in honour of Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, who started the space program in the country and is called as the “Father of Indian Space Program”. Prof. Sarabhai started space research in the country by establishing PRL in 1947; hence, PRL is known as the ‘Cradle of Space Research in India’.

This COSPAR Vikram Sarabhai Medal is given for outstanding contributions to space research in developing countries. Prof. Anil Bhardwaj is recognised for his outstanding contributions to the Planetary Exploration Program of India. Prof. Anil Bhardwaj is a respected space and planetary scientist, having contributed to the development of instruments for Indian planetary and space missions, multi-wavelength observations of solar system bodies, and theoretical studies of planetary atmospheric ionospheric processes. He and his teams’ scientific experiments have been flown in all the Indian missions to the Moon, viz., Chandrayaan-1, Chandrayaan-2, Chandrayaan-3 Lander and Rover, as well as to Mars (Mangalyaan) and the solar mission Aditya-L1.

It is only the second time that this coveted COSPAR Vikram Sarabhai Medal has been awarded to a scientist from ISRO. Earlier, (Late) Prof. U. R. Rao was decorated with this medal in 1996 at the COSPAR Assembly in Birmingham, UK. The Committee on Space Research (COSPAR), one of the largest forums for space scientists, was established in 1958, immediately after the launch of the first-ever satellite by the then-Soviet Union in 1957. It holds its scientific assembly every two years, attracting about 3,000 scientists worldwide.

Prof. Anil Bhardwaj: Director | Physical Research Laboratory (prl.res.in)

 

 

Prof. Anil Bhardwaj receiving the award at the COSPAR on 15 July 2024

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