Rakesh Sharma

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For other people named Rakesh Sharma, see Rakesh Sharma (disambiguation).

Rakesh Sharma

Rakesh Sharma

Nationality

Indian

Status

Retired

Born

13 January 1949 (age 67)

Patiala, Punjab, India

Other occupation

Test Pilot

Rank
Wing Commander

Missions

Soyuz T-11 / Soyuz T-10

Mission insignia

Ashok Chakra

Awards

Hero of the Soviet Union

Rakesh Sharma, AC, Hero of the Soviet Union, (born 13 January 1949) is a former Indian Air
Force pilot who flew aboard Soyuz T-11, launched April 3, 1984, as part of
the Intercosmos programme. Sharma was the first Indian to travel in space.[1][2]
Contents
[hide]

1Early Life

2Career
o

2.1Spaceflight

3Awards

4Personal life

5See also

6References

7External links

Early Life[edit]
Rakesh Sharma was born on 13 January 1949 at Patiala, Punjab, India. He attended St. Georges
Grammar School, Hyderabad. He graduated from Nizam College. He joined the Air Force as a cadet
in 1966.

Career[edit]
An alumnus of the 35th National Defence Academy, Rakesh Sharma joined as a test pilot in the
Indian Air Force in 1970. He flew various Mikoyan-Gurevich (MiG) aircraft starting from 1971.
Rakesh swiftly progressed through many levels and in 1984 he was appointed as the Squadron
Leader and pilot of the Indian Air Force.[3] He was selected on the twentieth of September in 1982 to
become a cosmonaut and go into space as part of a joint programme between the Indian Space
Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Soviet Intercosmosspace program.[4]
He retired with the rank of Wing Commander. He joined the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited in 1987
and served as Chief Test Pilot in the HAL Nashik Division until 1992, before moving on
to Bangalore to work as the Chief Test Pilot of HAL. He was also associated with the Light Combat
Aircraft Tejas.[4]

Spaceflight[edit]

In 1984, he became the first citizen of India to go into space when he flew aboard the Soviet
rocket Soyuz T-11 blasted off from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic on
the second of April 1984. The Soyuz T-11 docked and transferred the three member Soviet-Indian
international crew which also included the Ship's Commander Yury Malyshevand Flight
Engineer Gennadi Strekalov (USSR) to the Salyut 7 Orbital Station. He spent 7 days 21 hours and
40 minutes aboard the Salyut 7 during which his team conducted scientific and technical studies
which included 43 experimental sessions. His work was mainly in the fields of bio-medicine and
remote sensing.[4] The crew held a joint television news conference with officials in Moscow and then
Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Saare Jahan Se Achcha (the best in the world), said Sharma
when Indira Gandhi asked him how India looked from outer space. India became the 14th nation to
send a man to outer space.[4]

Awards[edit]
He was conferred with the honour of Hero of Soviet Union upon his return from space. The
Government of India conferred its highest gallantry award (during peace time), the Ashoka
Chakra on him and the other two Soviet members of his mission, Malyshev and Strekalov.[4]

Personal life[edit]
He and his wife Madhu learned Russian during their stay in Russia in 1982. His son Kapil is a film
director and his daughter Kritika is a media artist.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rakesh_Sharma

Sharma
Rakesh "Rikki"

India

hi res version (582 KB)

more photos

Personal data
Birthdate:

13.01.1949

Birthplace:

Patiala

Marital status:

married

Children:

two

Selection date:

20.09.1982

Selection group:

India

Position:

Research Cosmonaut (RC)

Status:

Ret. 11.04.1984

Spaceflights
No
.
1

Mission

Soyuz T-11 / Soyuz T-10

Position
Research
Cosmonaut

Time

Duration

03.04. 11.04.1984

7d 21h 40m

2
3
4
5
6
7
Total

7d 21h 40m

Additional information
Lieutenant Colonel, Indian Air Force Pilot and test pilot; joined HAL in 1987; served as Chief Test
Pilot, HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited) Nashik Division until 1992 when he moved to Bangalore to
take up the assignment of Chief Test Pilot of HAL, a post he held until he retired from test flying in
2001.

http://www.spacefacts.de/bios/international/english/sharma_rakesh.htm