Rakesh Sharma

Career

Sharma was commissioned into the Indian Air Force (IAF) as a pilot in 1970. He flew 21 combat missions piloting the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971. In 1984, he was promoted to the rank of squadron leader. On 20 September 1982, he was selected for space travel as part of a joint programme between the IAF and the Soviet Interkosmos space agency.

Sharma became the first Indian to travel to outer space when he flew aboard the Soviet Soyuz T-11 mission, launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome in the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic on 3 April 1984. The Soyuz-T spacecraft carried a three member crew, consisting of the ship's commander Yury Malyshev, flight engineer Gennadi Strekalov, and Sharma as a research cosmonaut. It docked with the Salyut 7 orbital station, and Sharma spent 7 days, 21 hours, and 40 minutes aboard the Salyut 7 during which his team conducted scientific and technical studies which included forty-three experimental sessions. His work was mainly in the fields of bio-medicine and remote sensing. The crew landed back on 11 April 1984. After landing, the crew held a joint news conference at Moscow in the presence of Soviet officials and then Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi. When Gandhi asked Sharma how India looked from outer space, he replied, "Sare Jahan Se Accha" (better than the whole world), in a reference to a poem by Allama Iqbal. With Sharma's voyage, India became the 14th nation to send a man to outer space.

Sharma retired as a wing commander from the IAF and later joined Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in 1987. He initially served as the chief test pilot at the HAL division at Nashik before moving to Bangalore to work as the company's chief test pilot. He retired from flying in 2001.

Awards and decorations

Sharma was conferred the honour of the Hero of the Soviet Union upon his return from space, and is the only Indian to have been conferred this honour. India also conferred its highest peacetime gallantry award, the Ashoka Chakra, on him and the two Soviet members of his mission, Malyshev and Strekalov.

The citation for the Ashoka Chakra reads as follows:

Gazette Notification: No.57-Pres/85 dated 7th May 1985

Date of Award: 3 April 1984

CITATION

SQUADRON LEADER RAKESH SHARMA

(12396) FLYING (PILOT)

In January 1982, when it was decided that an Indian would go into space on a Soviet space ship, Squadron Leader Rakesh Sharma volunteered for this very challenging mission. After a very rigorous selection process, which included a most exacting medical test, he was selected as one of the two cosmonaut candidates from among 150 highly qualified and experienced pilots of the Indian Air Force. After his selection, he underwent training as a cosmonaut at YURI GAGARIN CENTRE in the USSR, where he applied himself with total devotion and dedication and won acclaim from Soviet Space experts. Squadron Leader Rakesh Sharma completed a most arduous training schedule, with distinction and with exceptional professionalism.

On 3 April 1984, Sqn Ldr Rakesh Sharma became the first Indian to orbit in space. He carried out all the scientific experiments planned for the joint Indo-Soviet Space Mission and other tasks assigned to him with great facility and excellence. Sqn Ldr Sharma has not only carved out a place for himself in the space roll of honour but has brought glory and credit to the nation.

Squadron leader Rakesh Sharma has thus displayed most conspicuous daring and courage to become the first Indian to go into space.

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Popular culture

A biographical Hindi-language film titled Saare Jahaan Se Achcha (formerly Salute), is under pre-production since 2018.