This post is an amalgamation of different facts and awards about the life of Vikram Sarabhai.

Facts

1. Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore wrote the Letter of Recommendation for Vikram Sarabhai for his application to Cambridge University.

2. His oral examiner for PhD thesis was P.M.S. Blackett, the distinguished scientist who would win the Nobel the following year for his investigations in nuclear physics and cosmic radiation.

3. He was friends with several scientists like James Van Allen, Bruno Rossi, Bertrand Goldschmidt, Sydney Chapman, P.M.S. Blackett and Victor Neher. Distinguished scientists such as Philip Morrison, Alexander J. Dessler, Donald A. Glaser, Linus Pauling, Y. Sekido and Maurice M. Shapiro visited PRL. In 1951 or 1952, the Joliot–Curie couple had also come to PRL and were guests at The Retreat.

Awards

1. The International Astronomical Union decided to rename a lunar crater, Bessel A as Sarabhai crater in 1973.

2. Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award (1962)

3. Padma Bhushan (1966)

4. Padma Vibhushan, posthumous (after-death) (1972)

I'll keep adding more facts on Vikram Sarabhai. If I have missed any Vikram Sarabhai Facts, do let me know.