Rakesh Sharma, Indian military pilot and cosmonaut, the first Indian citizen in space.
In 1970 Sharma joined the Indian Air Force as a pilot. He flew 21 combat missions in a MiG-21 in the Bangladesh war of 1971. In 1982 he was selected as a cosmonaut for a joint Soviet-Indian spaceflight. On April 3, 1984, he flew on board Soyuz T-11 with two Soviet cosmonauts, commander Yury Malyshev and flight engineer Gennady Strekalov, to the space station Salyut 7. There Sharma performed experiments that included photography of India from space and exercises to study the effects of yoga on the body during weightlessness. The mission lasted nearly eight days, and Sharma and his crewmates landed in Kazakhstan on April 11. In 1987 he joined the Indian company Hindustan Aeronautics as its chief test pilot. He left Hindustan Aeronautics in 2001 and became chairman of the board of Automated Workflow, a process-management company based in Bangalore (Bengaluru).
One of the most memorable experiences of the first India reaching space in 1984 was Sharma’s conversation with then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi who asked how India looked from up there. To this, Sharma replied, “Saare Jahaan Se Achcha” before adding that the most beautiful moments from space were sunrises and sunsets. Further, apart from being the first Indian to stay in space, Sharma is also the first Indian to receive the honour of the ‘Hero of Soviet Union’ award. He also received Ashok Chakra along with his Russian co astronauts.
Credit : Britannica
Picture Credit : Google
