Rakesh Sharma Birthday: India's first astronaut served in the Air Force; know about his inspiring life
13 April 1984 was a historic day for India when Rakesh Sharma travelled to space on the Soviet Union's spacecraft Soyuz T-11. By becoming the first Indian astronaut, he not only elevated the nation's pride but also etched his name in history. Born on 13 January 1949, Rakesh Sharma continues to inspire generations with his remarkable journey and achievements. Let's take a look at his life and achievements on his 76th birthday.
Stayed 7 days in the space
Astronaut Rakesh Sharma was once more popular than a film hero in the country. However, discussions about him have reduced considerably in the last few years, so many people do not know where he is or what he does now. Rakesh is the first Indian astronaut to step into space. He was part of the Soviet-Soyuz T-11 mission and stayed on the Soviet space station for 7 days, 21 hours and 40 minutes.
Rakesh was a wing commander in the Indian Air Service
India's first and the world's 128th astronaut Rakesh was born on January 13, 1949, in Patiala, Punjab.
Rakesh, interested in repairing broken things and electronic goods, joined the Indian Air Force after completing his studies and played his role as a pilot in the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War. After this, in 1982, he got a chance to join the joint space mission of India and Russia.
After completing this space mission, he returned to Earth and rejoined the Air Force and retired as a Wing Commander in 1987. Yesterday, Rakesh praised India's achievement in the field of space and said that India has done much scientific research at a much lower cost than other countries.
Where is Rakesh currently?
Rakesh currently lives with his wife Madhu in Kannur, Tamil Nadu and is leading a simple life. He is part of the National Advisory Council formed for the Gaganyaan mission of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). Earlier, he was the non-executive chairman of Bengaluru-based Cadila Labs company in 2021. This company provides intelligence automation to companies in the insurance sector.