How Old Is Rakesh Sharma? Rakesh Sharma Birthday
Rakesh Sharma was born on January 13, 1949 and is 75 years old now.
Birthday: January 13, 1949
How Old - Age: 75
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Rakesh Sharma - Biography
Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma, AC, Hero of the Soviet Union, (born 13 January 1949) is a former Indian Air Force test pilot who flew aboard Soyuz T-11, launched April 3rd, 1984, as part of the Intercosmos programme. Sharma was the first Indian, and till date the only, Indian national to travel in space.
In 1984, he became the first Indian citizen to enter space when he flew aboard the Soviet rocket Soyuz T-11 launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic on 2 April 1984. The Soyuz T-11 docked and transferred the three member Soviet-Indian international crew which also included the ship's commander, Yury Malyshev, and flight engineer, Gennadi Strekalov, to the Salyut 7 Orbital Station. 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 held a joint television news conference with officials in Moscow and then Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. When Gandhi asked Sharma how India looked from outer space, he replied, "Sare Jahan Se Accha" (the best in the world). This is the title of a patriotic poem by Iqbal that had been written when India was under British colonial rule, that continues to be popular today. India became the 14th nation to send a man to outer space.
He retired with the rank of wing commander. He joined Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in 1987 and served as the 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. Sharma retired from flying in 2001.
He and his wife, Madhu, learned Russian during their stay in the Soviet Union in 1982. His son, Kapil, is a film director, whilst his daughter, Kritika, is a media artist.
