When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.
- Lao Tzu
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On January 13th 1949, Rakesh Sharma was born in the well-known district of Patiala located in the state of Punjab. As a young boy, he enrolled at St. George's Grammar School in Hyderabad and received his early education from there. Thereafter, he was admitted to the National Defense Academy as an Air Force plebe in July 1966. Rakesh proved to be a focused and dedicated student and by 1970, he was commissioned into the Indian Air Force to become a pilot.
In 1970, after joining the Indian Air Force as a test pilot, his passion for flying opened up several opportunities such as being a part of war operations against Pakistan. He flew various Mikoyan-Gurevich aircrafts 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.
After some years, he was asked to go on an extraordinary mission as a combined space program between Indian Space Research Organisation and the Soviet Intercosmos.
He spent eight days in space on board the Salyut 7 space station (Soviet/Russian). He joined two other Soviet cosmonauts aboard the Soyuz T-11 spacecraft which blasted off on April 2, 1984.
Rakesh Sharma was chosen out of hundreds of applicants to undergo training with the Russians as part of their space programme.
He was selected on 20th September 1982 to become a cosmonaut and was trained for 18 months for the eight-day trip. In 1984 he became the first Indian citizen to go into space when he flew aboard the Russian rocket Soyuz T-11. The take-off from Baikonur in Moscow on April 2, 1984 was a high point in Indo-Soviet relations.
The Soyuz IT – 11 docked and transferred the three-member Soviet-Indian international crew which also included the Ship’s Commander Y.V. Malyshev and Flight Engineer G.M. Strekalov (USSR) to the SALYUT-7 Orbital Station. The crew spent seven days aboard the Salyut Space Station during which they conducted scientific and technical studies, which included 43 experimental sessions.
The one thing that cosmonauts are trained the most is to cope with is zero gravity. For example, Sharma, who recently gave a lecture in Bangalore on the kind of training that is given to astronauts, recalled that they were all made to sleep with their heads lower than their feet.
Sharma says that six months before the launch, he dropped the fitness regime that the other cosmonauts were following and did intensive yoga. This was to assess whether yoga helps people cope better with the lack of gravity. His work was mainly in the flelds of biomedicine and remote sensing.
A few years later he retired from the Indian Army as a Wing Commander to become a part of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) as a test pilot. He was posted in the Nashik Division. He then shifted to National Flight Test Center (NFTC) in Bangalore and began to work on Light Combat Aircraft program, along with a few others.
In 2006, Sharma took part in a conference involving a gathering of the best scientists of ISRO, who were responsible for one of India's space missions. Currently, he has retired from his services and is now the chairperson for the Automated Workflow.
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.
Rakesh Sharma immortalised himself in Indian History and made his way into many Indians hearts by his answer to the then PM Indira Gandhiji’s question on how India looked from outer space. He replied “Saare Jahan Se Achha” (The Best in the World). That was also a proud moment for millions of Indian TV viewers who watched India become the 14th nation to send a man to outer space.
By Pritam Mondal
Jul 21, 2018
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On January 13th 1949, Rakesh Sharma was born in the well-known district of Patiala located in the state of Punjab. As a young boy, he enrolled at St. George's Grammar School in Hyderabad and received his early education from there. Thereafter, he was admitted to the National Defense Academy as an Air Force plebe in July 1966. Rakesh proved to be a focused and dedicated student and by 1970, he was commissioned into the Indian Air Force to become a pilot.
In 1970, after joining the Indian Air Force as a test pilot, his passion for flying opened up several opportunities such as being a part of war operations against Pakistan. He flew various Mikoyan-Gurevich aircrafts 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.
After some years, he was asked to go on an extraordinary mission as a combined space program between Indian Space Research Organisation and the Soviet Intercosmos.
He spent eight days in space on board the Salyut 7 space station (Soviet/Russian). He joined two other Soviet cosmonauts aboard the Soyuz T-11 spacecraft which blasted off on April 2, 1984.
Rakesh Sharma was chosen out of hundreds of applicants to undergo training with the Russians as part of their space programme.
He was selected on 20th September 1982 to become a cosmonaut and was trained for 18 months for the eight-day trip. In 1984 he became the first Indian citizen to go into space when he flew aboard the Russian rocket Soyuz T-11. The take-off from Baikonur in Moscow on April 2, 1984 was a high point in Indo-Soviet relations.
The Soyuz IT – 11 docked and transferred the three-member Soviet-Indian international crew which also included the Ship’s Commander Y.V. Malyshev and Flight Engineer G.M. Strekalov (USSR) to the SALYUT-7 Orbital Station. The crew spent seven days aboard the Salyut Space Station during which they conducted scientific and technical studies, which included 43 experimental sessions.
The one thing that cosmonauts are trained the most is to cope with is zero gravity. For example, Sharma, who recently gave a lecture in Bangalore on the kind of training that is given to astronauts, recalled that they were all made to sleep with their heads lower than their feet.
Sharma says that six months before the launch, he dropped the fitness regime that the other cosmonauts were following and did intensive yoga. This was to assess whether yoga helps people cope better with the lack of gravity. His work was mainly in the flelds of biomedicine and remote sensing.
A few years later he retired from the Indian Army as a Wing Commander to become a part of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) as a test pilot. He was posted in the Nashik Division. He then shifted to National Flight Test Center (NFTC) in Bangalore and began to work on Light Combat Aircraft program, along with a few others.
In 2006, Sharma took part in a conference involving a gathering of the best scientists of ISRO, who were responsible for one of India's space missions. Currently, he has retired from his services and is now the chairperson for the Automated Workflow.
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.
Rakesh Sharma immortalised himself in Indian History and made his way into many Indians hearts by his answer to the then PM Indira Gandhiji’s question on how India looked from outer space. He replied “Saare Jahan Se Achha” (The Best in the World). That was also a proud moment for millions of Indian TV viewers who watched India become the 14th nation to send a man to outer space.
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