New Delhi, Jun 3 (KNN) The Indian Space Research Organisation, ISRO has established an endowed fellowship in honour of Prof Satish Dhawan at the California Institute of Technology in USA.

The fellowship scheme started by ISRO will provide an opportunity every year starting from the winter session of the academic year 2013 to one meritorious graduating student from the Aerospace Department of the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology Thiruvananthapuram, to be sponsored by the Department of Space, to pursue Masters in Aerospace Engineering at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).

Prof Satish Dhawan was not only a visionary leader of ISRO, but also an internationally recognised researcher and a legendary teacher, said an ISRO press release.  He was bestowed with the distinguished alumni award by California Institute of Technology in 1969, the highest alumnus honour.
 
A former Chairman of ISRO during its formative period 1972-1984, Prof Dhawan had obtained his PhD in aerospace from the Graduate Aerospace Laboratories of the California Institute of Technology in 1951.

He had also served as a distinguished visiting professor during 1971-72 here before assuming charge as the Chairman of ISRO in 1972. 

The Government of India honoured Dhawan by awarding him a Padma Vibhushan in 1981. (KNN)