Rakesh Sharma

Rakesh Sharma

Rakesh Sharma (born 13 January 1949) is an Indian cosmonaut and a pilot of the Indian Air Force. He became the first Indian to travel to outer space. He flew on 3 April 1984 aboard the Soyuz T-11.

His trip was part of the Soviet Interkosmos programme, which let people from many countries join space missions. Sharma’s flight was a proud moment for India and inspired many people to dream about space.

Early and personal life

Rakesh Sharma was born on 13 January 1949 in Patiala into a Punjabi family. He went to St. George's Grammar School and finished his studies at Nizam College in Hyderabad. He joined the National Defence Academy as an air force student in July 1966.

Sharma married Madhu, and they have three children together. One of their children is film director Kapil Sharma.

Career

Rakesh Sharma joined the Indian Air Force as a pilot in 1970. He flew missions during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971. In 1984, he became a squadron leader. He was chosen in 1982 to travel to space through a program between the Indian Air Force and the Soviet Interkosmos space agency.

Sharma became the first Indian to travel to outer space. He flew aboard the Soviet Soyuz T-11 mission on April 3, 1984, from Baikonur Cosmodrome. The spacecraft had three crew members, including Sharma as a research cosmonaut. They docked with the Salyut 7 space station, where Sharma spent almost eight days doing science studies. After the mission, he talked about his experience at a news conference with Soviet leaders and Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi. Sharma retired from the Air Force and later worked for Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, serving as a chief test pilot before retiring from flying in 2001.

Awards and decorations

Rakesh Sharma received many important awards for his space journey. After his trip to space, he was given the highest honor from the Soviet Union, called the Hero of the Soviet Union. He is the only Indian ever to receive this award.

India also gave him and his two Soviet teammates, Malyshev and Strekalov, the Ashoka Chakra, which is India’s highest award for bravery during peaceful times.

Popular culture

A biographical film in the Hindi language titled Saare Jahaan Se Achcha has been in pre-production since 2018.