Rakesh Sharma, the first and the only Indian citizen who went to space, turns 73 today. Rakesh Sharma was born on 13 January 1949 in Patiala, Punjab on the auspicious occasion of Lohri.
He joined the National Defence Academy at the age of 17 and was commissioned into the Indian Air Force as a test pilot in 1970. During the India-Pakistan conflict of 1971 (Bangladesh war of 1971) he flew 21 combat missions. He served the Indian Air Force between 1970 to 1990. He retired as a Wing Commander and later joined Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) serving at Nashik Division and Bengaluru.
In 1982, he was selected to go into space as a cosmonaut for a joint programme between Indian Air Force and Soviet Space Mission called the Soviet Interkosmos space programme. Rakesh Sharma was joined by two Soviet cosmonauts, commander Yury Malyshev and flight engineer Gennady Strekalov, to the space station called Salyut 7, a space station in low Earth orbit.
On April 3, 1984, he made history when he flew abroad the Soviet rocket Soyuz T-11 launched from Baikonur 31/6 (Baikonur Cosmodrome), Kazakhstan. Rakesh Sharma and his team were in space for about 190 hours during which they conducted 43 scientific and technical experiments. He was particularly interested in photographing India from space and studying the effects of yoga on the body under the effect of weightlessness.
Rakesh Sharma was conferred with the Ashoka Chakra, India’s highest peacetime gallantry award. Because of his exceptional contribution, he was honoured with the ‘Hero of the Soviet Union’ upon his return from space. He is also a recipient of the awards, Paschimi Star Ribbon and Sangram Medal for his contribution during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971.
On his return from space, the then Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi, asked him how India looked from outer space; his response was ‘Sare Jahan Se Accha’.
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