Last Updated on 12 Jan 2004 - 12:24 PM
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Distinguished Visitors
Wing Commander (retd.) Rakesh Sharma (1st Indian in space)

THE FIRST INDIAN IN SPACE on 2nd August 2003

"I am quite willing to go into space again,
in a space shuttle or a capsule.... I don't mind who takes me either"

Everything about the space is a unique source of delight and excitement for him - the endless void, the bitter silence and loneliness, the incessant path, the long and mettlesome task of mastering the knowledge of voyaging, nothing ....nothing...... can prevent him from feeling the powerful call of the space, a call he cannot resist. Rather at this age of 54 he avers, "I can go to space again". He is no anyone but a legendary figure of the, world, wing Commander (Retd.) Rakesh Sharma, the first Indian Cosmonaut.Mr. Rakesh Sharma - a heroic soul of our dearest
motherland was destined by Him to take birth on 13th January, 1949 in Patiala. After the successful completion of his school career from St. Georges Grammar School, Hyderabad, he had a short stint at Nizam college and then in 1966 he was selected for NDA, Khadakvasla. In 1968 he graduated from NDA and after the completion of Flying Training he was commissioned into the IAF,as a Fighter Pilot in 1970. He flew 21 operational
missions on a MIG-21 aircraft during the Indo-Pak war in 1971 and was selected for the PTPC in 1975 and later, in 1979, graduated as an Experimental Test Pilot from IAF's Test Pilot's School at ASTE in Bangalora.He served as an Air Force Test Pilot for 15 years during which period, he was selected for the Joint Indo-Soviet Space Mission, 1984 and became acredited with the first proud citizen of india to go into space when he flew abroad the Russian rocket Soyuz T-II, The voyage was culminated in an 8 day Near Earth Orbit Space Flight during which, he along with his Russian Crew member Ship's Commander Y.V. Malyshev and Flight Engineer G. M. Strekalov conducted scientific and technical studies which included 43 experimental sessions. He was trained for one-and-a-half years for this trip. What every Indian probably remembers best about that historic voyage are the golden words that Sharma used to describe India to a waiting Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi. "Jaise saare jahan se achha" he said, immortalizing himself in the heart of all Indians who heard on tape over the following years. He was awarded with the Ashok Chakra, for the successful completion of the Space Mission. He was seconded to the Industry in 1978 and served as the Chief Test Pilot of Hindustan Aeronanties Ltd. and facilitated India's prestigious Light Combat Aircraft Project and HAL's Intermediate Jet Trainer Project. During his 33 year long flying career, he flew over 4,000 hours on various types of fighter aircrafts like the Mirage-2000, F-16, Jaguar, Mig-27, Mig-23, Mig-21 , Canberra, Gnat, Hunter and many more. Finally, he retired from Test Flying duties after 24 years, in July 2001. Presently, Mr. Sharma holds the prestigious post of the Director (Operations) of the Automated workflow Group-an IT Company located in Bangalore. At the same time he is a philanthropist par-excellence. He is associated with 'Vathsalya' - HAL School for Special Education, Bangalore and 'Abhayadhama' - The Brothers of Holy Cross, Bangalore. His love for the destitute and mentally retarded children is beyond our imagination. Moreover, he is a spiendid story - writer of his own accord. Today we should try to take a lesson from him. May his path way of life be made easy and smooth and his efforts along with its bright way be crowned with grand success, the wish of all the DAVians, Chandrasekharpur, Bhubaneswar-21
	Dr. K. C. Satapathy PRINCIPAL