The first chairman of the Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR) was Dr. Vikram Sarabhai. INCOSPAR was established in 1962 under the Department of Atomic Energy, and Vikram Sarabhai was appointed its chairperson to lead the formulation of the Indian space program
. Dr. Sarabhai is widely regarded as the father of the Indian space program. Under his leadership, INCOSPAR set up the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) in Kerala, where India launched its first sounding rockets starting in 1963. INCOSPAR later evolved into the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in 1969, with Sarabhai continuing as the first chairman of ISRO as well
. In summary:
- INCOSPAR founded in 1962 under DAE
- Vikram Sarabhai was the first chairman of INCOSPAR
- INCOSPAR became ISRO in 1969, with Sarabhai as its first chairman
- Sarabhai is considered the founding father of India's space program
