Discover the Incredible Story of Rakesh Sharma, India’s First Astronaut

Rakesh Sharma, the first Indian astronaut in space in 1984, recently hailed the Chandrayaan-3 mission that made India the first country to successfully land near the South Pole of the Moon.

On the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission, Sharma told National Geographic, “I’m not surprised because I knew deep inside that ISRO would make it this time. I’m already a proud Indian and I’ve become a prouder Indian now. I knew that ISRO would solve everything for Chandrayaan-2 challenges faced and makes this mission successful.”

In 1984, Indian astronaut Rakesh Sharma embarked on an extraordinary space journey that played a significant role in India’s space history. Let’s delve into his journey and find out what he is currently doing.

Sharma bravely explored the unknown space and achieved an amazing feat and is fondly remembered by the entire nation today. His journey began when he joined the joint space program of ISRO and the Soviet Union’s Interkosmos Space program. On April 3, 1984, he traveled into space on a Soyuz T-11 with two Soviet astronauts.

Sharma and his colleagues worked on the Soyuz T-11 spacecraft for scientific and engineering studies, including 43 experimental sessions, for seven days, 21 hours and 40 minutes aboard Salyut 7. In his work, he mainly focused on remote sensing and biomedicine. .

While in space, this Indian astronaut captured the beauty of space, practiced yoga and conducted experiments that advance science. A touching moment happened when the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi asked him what India looked like from space. With great love for his motherland, he replied, “Saare Jahan se accha”.

Rakesh Sharma was born on 13 January 1949 in Patiala, Punjab, into a Punjabi Hindu Brahmin family. He did his schooling at St. George’s Grammar School, Hyderabad and graduated from Nizam College, Hyderabad. He became an Air Force pilot by enrolling in the National Defense Academy in July 1966.

In 1970, Sharma officially became a pilot in the Indian Air Force. He was also trained at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center. For his commitment, he earned the prestigious Soviet “Hero of the Soviet Union” medal in 1982.

Currently, according to reports, famous Indian astronaut Rakesh Sharma is living a simple life in Coonoor with his wife Madhu. He also contributes to ISRO’s ambitious missions by serving on the National Space Council for the Gaganyaan project.