Sharma left an enduring impression on Indians of all generations. The Soviet Interkosmos Space program and ISRO worked together to make his space journey possible. Sharma set off on his cosmic adventure on April 3, 1984, on Soyuz T-11 with two Soviet cosmonauts.
Here are some interesting facts about the first Indian astronaut to reach space:
– Rakesh Sharma was born on January 13, 1949, in Patiala.
– In July 1966, he enrolled as a plebe in the National Defence Academy (NDA), and in 1970, he received his pilot’s commission in the Indian Air Force.
– On April 2, 1984, he became the first Indian citizen to travel to space.
– As part of a collaborative effort between the Soviet Intercosmos space program and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), he travelled to space.
– It’s interesting to note that Rakesh Sharma used the Defence Food Research Lab in Mysore to transport Indian food into space. Sharma shared the vegetarian pulao, aloo choley, and suji halwa they had packed with the other astronauts. His work in space was centred on remote sensing and biomedicine. Sharma used ‘zero gravity yoga’ as a coping mechanism for space sickness.
– When Indira Gandhi, then Prime Minister of India, asked Sharma how India looked from space, Sharma replied, “Saare Jahaan se Achcha” (better than the rest of the world). He stated that the most beautiful times in space were sunrise and sunset.
– Rakesh Sharma is not only the first Indian to spend time in space but also the first Indian to get the ‘Hero of Soviet Union’ medal. In addition, he and his fellow Russian astronauts Genadi Strekalov and Yuri Malyshev received the Ashok Chakra.
– After serving as a Wing Commander, Sharma retired from the Indian Air Force (IAF). He became a member of the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in 1987 and served as the chief test pilot for the Nashik Division.
– According to reports, Sharma lives in Tamil Nadu’s serene Coonoor district and leads a modest but incredibly meaningful existence.
(Edited by : Sudarsanan Mani)
