25.07.2017
A resident of Bengaluru , he is survived by his wife, a son and a daughter. Rao, who served as the chairman of ISRO for about 10 years between 1984-1994, was conferred the Padma Vibhushan in January 2017, reported Deccan Herald . After he received the award, he had joked, " I thought I would get this award posthumously. Being a holder of numerous National and worldwide awards, the last award this great scientist received was the Padma Vibhushan in January 2017.