Rakesh Sharma

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Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma, former Indian Air Force test pilot, was the first Indian to travel in space. Born January 13, 1949, Rakesh Sharma also earned name and fame in Soviet Union as well as across the world after he flew aboard the Soyuz T-11 as part of the ambitious Intercosmos program.

Early life –
Born in 1949 at Patiala in the state of Punjab in a Hindu Gaur family, Rakesh Sharma was adventurous by nature, and thus decided to join Indian Air Force. He joined the National Defence Academy (NDA) as an IAF cadet in 1966, and then joined the Indian Air Force in the year 1970 as a pilot officer.

In the 1971 War, he flew several missions is MiG aircraft that helped the country achieve considerable success. He flew into space in 1984, when he was a squadron leader. He flew to space as part of a joint program between the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and the Soviet Union’s Intercosmos space program. He spent more than a week (7 days, 21 hours and 40 minutes) in space on board the Salyut 7 space station.

Career –
Ever since his joining the Indian Air Force, Rakesh Sharma progressed quickly through the ranks. When he embarked on the historic space mission in the year 1984 as part of a joint space program between India and Soviet Union, he was a Squadron Leader and pilot with the Indian Air Force. He was 35-year-old when he had launched along with two Soviet cosmonauts aboard Soyuz T-11 on the 3rd of April in the year 1984. Rakesh, along with the Soviet Cosmonauts, spend nearly eight days in space, on board the Salyut 7 space station, which was a low earth orbit space station. The space station was designed to conduct an earth observation program focusing on India. The mission also involved life sciences and materials processing experiments. He also experimented practicing Yoga in space to cope with the effects of long-drawn-out orbital spaceflight.

While he was in space, the then Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi, conversed with him and asked him how India looked from space. He replied “Saare Jahan Se Achcha Hindustan Hamara” meaning Our land of Hindustan is the Best in the world.

Honours –
Rakesh Sharma was bestowed with a number of honours, including Hero of Soviet Union after he returned from space. The Ashoka Chakra, India’s highest gallantry award (during peace time) was bestowed on him and the other two Soviet cosmonauts by the Government of India.

Retirement –
Rakesh Sharma retired with the rank of Wing Commander. He joined the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) in the year 1987 and served as Chief Test Pilot in the HAL Nashik Division until the year 1992. Then he moved on to Bangalore to work as the Chief Test Pilot of HAL. Finally, he retired from test flying in the year 2001.