Space scientist and former Indian Space Research Organisation Chairman Udupi Ramachandra Rao died at his Bengaluru home in the early hours of Monday. The 85-year-old had been suffering from age-related ailments. He is survived by his wife and children.

Rao was given with the Padma Bhushan in 1976 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2017 for his contribution to the field of space technology. He was the Isro chairman between 1984 and 1994 and was behind several successful launches, including India’s first satellite Aryabhata and the Mars Orbiter Mission.

He had been involved in all Isro missions till date and had also initiated the development of the Geo Stationary Launch Vehicle. He was also the chairman of the governing council of the Physical Research Laboratory in Ahmedabad and the chancellor of the Indian Institute of Science and Technology in Thiruvananthapuram.

Rao was the first Indian space scientist to be included in the “Satellite Hall of Fame” in Washington DC in 2013 and Mexico’s “International Astronautical Federation Hall of Fame”.