Satish Dhawan

2021-06-03T13:41:02Z

2405:204:1227:B059:7089:CDC4:5D2E:744:

{{Short description|Father of experimental Fluid Dynamics Research in India}}{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=February 2017}}
{{More citations needed|date=December 2019}}
{{Infobox scientist
|name = Satish Dhawan
|image = Satish Dhawan.jpg
|image_size =
|caption =
|birth_date = {{birth date|1920|9|25|df=y}}
|birth_place = [[Srinagar]], [[Jammu and Kashmir (princely state)|Jammu and Kashmir]], [[British India]]<br>(now in [[Jammu and Kashmir (union territory)|Jammu and Kashmir]], [[India]])
|death_date = {{death date and age|2002|01|03|1920|9|25|df=y}}
|death_place = [[Bangalore]], [[Karnataka]], [[India]]
|field = [[Mechanical Engineering|Mechanical]] and [[aerospace Engineering]]
|work_institution = [[Indian Space Research Organisation]]<br>[[Indian Institute of Science]]<br>[[California Institute of Technology]]<br>[[National Aerospace Laboratories]]
|alma_mater = {{Plainlist|
* [[University of Punjab]] ([[B.A.|BA]], [[M.A.|MA]], [[B.E.|BE]])
* [[University of Minnesota]] ([[M.S.|MS]])
* [[California Institute of Technology]] ([[PhD]]) }}
|thesis_title = Direct Measurements of Skin Friction
|thesis_year = 1951
|doctoral_advisor = [[Hans W. Liepmann]]
|doctoral_students =
|known_for = [[Indian space programme]]
|prizes = [[Padma Vibhushan]]
|signature = [[File:Satish Dhawan Signature.png|200px]]
}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| title = [[Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation|Chairman]], [[Indian Space Research Organisation]]
| term_start = 1972
| term_end = 1984
| predecessor = [[M. G. K. Menon]]
| successor = [[Udupi Ramachandra Rao]]
}}
'''Satish Dhawan''' (25 September 1920 – 3 January 2002) was an Indian [[mathematician]] and [[aerospace engineer]], widely regarded as the father of experimental [[fluid dynamics]] research in India. Born in [[Srinagar]], Dhawan was educated in India and further on in United States. Dhawan was one of the most eminent researchers in the field of [[turbulence]] and [[boundary layers]], leading the successful and indigenous development of the Indian space programme. He succeeded [[M. G. K. Menon]], as the third chairman of the [[Indian Space Research Organisation]] (ISRO) in 1972.

== Education ==
Dhawan was a graduate of the [[University of the Punjab]] in [[Lahore]], [[India]] (now in [[Pakistan]]), where he completed a [[Bachelor of Science]] in physics and mathematics, a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering and a [[Master of Arts]] in English literature. In 1947, he completed a [[Master of Science]] degree in [[aerospace engineering]] from the [[University of Minnesota, Minneapolis]], and an aeronautical engineering degree from the [[California Institute of Technology]] followed by a double PhD in mathematics and aerospace engineering under the supervision of his advisor [[Hans W. Liepmann]] in 1951.

== Leadership in space research ==
{{main|Indian Space Research Organisation}}
In 1972 Dr Dhawan became chairman of the [[Indian Space Research Organisation]] (ISRO) and secretary to the [[Government of India]] at the [[Department of Space]].

[[APJ Abdul Kalam]] explained that in 1979 when he was the director of a [[Satellite Launch Vehicle]], the mission failed to launch the satellite in the orbit. Instead, it was put into [[Bay of Bengal]]. Abdul Kalam's team knew that there was a leakage in the fuel of the system, but they hoped that the leakage was negligible, and thus they thought there was enough fuel in the system. This miscalculation lead to the failure. Satish Dhawan, being the chairman at the time, called Abdul Kalam and conveyed to the press; "We failed! But I have very strong trust in my team and I believe that next time we will definitely succeed". This surprised Abdul Kalam, as the blame of the failure was taken by the chairman of ISRO. The next mission was prepared and launched successfully in 1980. When this succeeded, Satish Dhawan told Abdul Kalam to attend the press meet without his presence. It was observed that when the team failed, he took the blame. But when the team succeeded, he attributed the success to his team, thus portraying the picture of an ideal leader.

Satish Dhawan was chairman of [[Indian Space Research Organisation|ISRO]] until 1984.

== Director, IISc (1962–1981) ==
Dhawan joined as faculty at the [[Indian Institute of Science]] (IISc), [[Bangalore]], in 1951 and became its director in 1962. Although he was the head of the [[Indian Space Research Organisation|Indian space programme]], he devoted substantial efforts towards boundary layer research. His most important contributions are presented in the seminal book ''Boundary Layer Theory'' by [[Hermann Schlichting]]. He set up the country's first [[supersonic wind tunnel]] at IISc. He also pioneered research on relaminarization of separated boundary layer flows, three-dimensional boundary layers and [[trisonic]] flows.<ref>{{cite web |title=Satish Dhawan : Legends of GALCIT |url=http://www.galcit.caltech.edu/about/dhawan |access-date=27 April 2020}}</ref>

== Support of space research ==
Dhawan carried out pioneering experiments in rural education, [[remote sensing]] and [[satellite]] communications. His efforts led to operational systems like [[Indian National Satellite System|INSAT]], a telecommunications satellite; [[Indian Remote Sensing satellite|IRS]], the Indian Remote Sensing satellite; and the [[Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle]] (PSLV), that placed [[India]] in the league of space faring nations.{{citation needed|date=April 2018}}

== Honours ==
Dhawan died on 3 January 2002 in [[Bangalore]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Satish Dhawan passes away|url=http://www.thehindu.com/2002/01/05/stories/2002010501711300.htm|archive-url=https://archive.today/20160611031656/http://www.thehindu.com/2002/01/05/stories/2002010501711300.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=11 June 2016|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|date=2002-01-05|access-date=3 January 2018}}</ref> Following his death, the satellite launch centre at [[Sriharikota]], [[Andhra Pradesh]], located about 100 km north of [[Chennai]] in South India, was renamed to the [[Satish Dhawan Space Centre]]. [[Satish Chander Dhawan Government College For Boys]] is named after him.
Department of Mechanical Engineering Building at [[Indian Institute of Technology Ropar]] is also named after him as Satish Dhawan Block, [[IIT Ropar]].

== Career ==
*[[Indian Institute of Science]], [[Bangalore]]
:*Senior Scientific Officer, 1951
:*Professor and Head of the Department of [[Aeronautical Engineering]], 1955
:*Director, 1962–1981<ref>{{cite web|title=About IISc Heritage|url=http://www.iisc.ernet.in/about-iisc/heritage.php|publisher=[[Indian Institute of Science]]|access-date=13 September 2013}}</ref>
*[[California Institute of Technology]], US
:*Visiting Professor, 1971–72
*[[National Aerospace Laboratories]], [[Bangalore]]
:*Chairman, Research council, 1984–93
*[[Indian Academy of Sciences]]
:*President, 1977–1979
*[[Indian Space Research Organisation]]
:*Chairman, 1972–1984
*Indian Space Commission
:*Chairman, 1972–2002

== Awards ==
*[[Padma Vibhushan]] (India's second highest civilian honour), 1981<ref name="Padma Awards">{{cite web | url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf | title=Padma Awards | publisher=Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India | date=2015 | access-date=21 July 2015 | archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/6U68ulwpb?url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf | archive-date=15 November 2014 | url-status=live }}</ref>
*[[Padma Bhushan]] (India's third highest civilian honour), 1971<ref name="Padma Awards" />
*Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration, 1999
*Distinguished Alumnus Award, [[Indian Institute of Science]]
*Distinguished Alumnus Award, California Institute of Technology, 1969

== Personal life ==
Satish Dhawan was born on 25 September 1920 in [[Srinagar]] in the state of [[Jammu and Kashmir (union territory)|Jammu and Kashmir]], [[India]], in a [[Punjabis|Punjabi]] family. His father came from [[Dera Ismail Khan]],<ref>{{cite web |title=My Father, Satish Dhawan |url=https://connect.iisc.ac.in/2017/08/father-satish-dhawan/ |website=Indian Institute of Science |access-date=21 June 2020}}</ref> and Satish Dhawan grew up in Lahore and Kashmir. He was married to Nalini Dhawan, a cytogeneticist, and his daughter [[Jyotsna Dhawan]] is serving as Senior Principal Scientist in the [[Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology]].

== Works ==
* 1953: "Direct measurements of skin friction", Technical Report 1121, [[National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics]], Washington DC.
* 1958; "Some properties of boundary layer flow during the transition from laminar to turbulent motion", [[Journal of Fluid Mechanics]] 3(4): 418 – 36 {{doi|10.1017/S0022112058000094}}
* 1967: "Aeronautical Research in India", (22nd British Commonwealth Lecture), Journal of the [[Royal Aeronautical Society]] 71: 149-184.
* 1982: "A glimpse of fluid mechanics research in Bangalore 25 years ago", in ''India: Surveys in fluid mechanics'', [[Indian Academy of Sciences]] (Eds. R Narasimha, S M Deshpande) 1-15.
* 1988: ''Developments in Fluid Mechanics and Space Technology'', (Eds. R Narasimha, APJ Abdul Kalam) Indian Academy of Sciences.
* 1991: "Bird flight", ''Sadhana Proceedings in Engineering Sciences'', Indian Academy of Sciences.
* 2000: Special Section on Instabilities, transitions and turbulence, (Ed. R Narasimha) [[Current Science]] 79: 725-883.

== References ==
{{Reflist}}
* P.A. Davidson, Y. Kaneda, K. Moffatt, and [[K.R. Sreenivasan]] (eds, 2011). ''A Voyage Through Turbulence'', chapter 11, pp 373–92, [[Cambridge University Press]] {{ISBN|978-0-521-19868-4}}

== External links ==
{{Sister project links| wikt=no | commons=no | b=no | n=no | q=no | s=no | v=no | voy=no | species=no | d=q325393}}
* {{MathGenealogy|id=119247}}
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{{succession box|title=[[Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation|ISRO Chairman]]|before=[[Mambillikalathil Govind Kumar Menon|M. G. K. Menon]]|after=[[Udipi Ramachandra Rao|U. R. Rao]]|years=1972–1984}}
{{end}}

{{Padma Shri Award Recipients in Science & Engineering}}
{{Padma Vibhushan Awards}}
{{PadmaBhushanAwardRecipients 1970–79}}
{{Indian space programme}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dhawan, Satish}}
[[Category:1920 births]]
[[Category:2002 deaths]]
[[Category:California Institute of Technology alumni]]
[[Category:Space programme of India]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Vibhushan in science & engineering]]
[[Category:Indian Space Research Organisation people]]
[[Category:University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering alumni]]
[[Category:Indian fluid dynamicists]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in science & engineering]]
[[Category:People from Srinagar]]
[[Category:University of the Punjab alumni]]
[[Category:Indian aerospace engineers]]
[[Category:Directors of the Indian Institute of Science]]
[[Category:Indian Institute of Science faculty]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri in science & engineering]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian engineers]]
[[Category:Engineers from Jammu and Kashmir]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian physicists]]
[[Category:Fluid dynamicists]]

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Satish Dhawan