Rakesh Sharma is the first Indian to reach space back in 1984. The cosmonaut changed Indian space history for once and all. A former Indian Air Force pilot is still the only Indian citizen who has travelled to space. Although there have been many Indians in the last decades who have managed to reach space, but they weren’t permanent citizens of India.
Even today, whenever someone talks about space and India in the same line, Rakesh Sharma’s name flashes in front of them. However, unfortunately, despite being such an important person in India’s space research history, he never got the kind of fame and recognition he deserves for what he has done for the country.
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It was in July 2023 when a picture of Rakesh Sharma made its way on social media and broke the internet. While most of the people were shocked to realise that he was still alive, it gave everyone a sense of guilt for not cherishing their hero more. Soon people started searching for his background and other personal info.
Thus, we have assembled a piece about Rakesh Sharma consisting of all the important information about his personal and professional lives. So without further ado, let’s get straight into it!
Continue reading below
The former Indian Air Force pilot, Rakesh Sharma was born on January 13, 1949, in Punjab. He belongs to a Punjabi Hindu Brahmin family. Rakesh completed his schooling and graduated from Hyderabad. He completed his schooling at St. George’s Grammar School, and for graduation, he went to Nizam College, Hyderabad.
Rakesh Sharma always wanted to become a pilot. Hence he joined National Defence Academy (NDA) in July 1966. With his valour and hard work, he was commissioned into the Indian Air Force as a pilot in 1970, which was indeed the biggest moment of his life.
In 1970, Rakesh Sharma joined the Indian Air Force as a test pilot. He always wanted to become a pilot, as it was his childhood dream/ Thus, when he got the chance to make his dream a reality at IAF, he didn’t waste a single opportunity. Within a span of just 14 years at IAF, Rakesh Sharma was promoted to the rank of squadron leader in 1984, which was quite remarkable. However, he had done a lot of ground-breaking things in his career that made him a rightful officer for the position of squadron leader.
One of the major reasons behind such a rise in his rank was what he did in the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. For the unversed, Rakesh was piloting the famous MiG-21 during the war and completed 21 combat missions that impressed the whole nation. It was a massive moment in Rakesh Sharma’s IAF career that cemented his reputation as one of the best pilots in the world.
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It was in 1982 when the Soviet-Indian spaceflight program was all set to make history. Rakesh Sharma was one of the cosmonauts, who went to space. Apart from Rakesh, there were two Soviet cosmonauts inside the Soyuz T-11, which took them to space.
It was a massive moment in both Soviet and India’s space history. After taking intense training at Moscow’s Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center, Rakesh cleared all the tests required and went to space.
For the unversed, Rakesh Sharma is married to a woman named Madhu. The couple is blessed with two children, a son named Kapil and a daughter named Kritiika. Talking about the respective professions of Rakesh Sharma’s kids, while his son is a filmmaker and actor, his daughter is a media artist.
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Rakesh Sharma never demanded any limelight or constant spotlight on him. However, it doesn’t mean he doesn’t deserve it all. The first Indian to reach space was forgotten by the media, and for decades nothing was reported about him and his personal life.
Luckily in July 2023, a picture of Rakesh Sharma made its way to the internet, after which it was reported that he is living a remote life in a village in Tamil Nadu. As per multiple reports, Rakesh is enjoying a peaceful and private life in Coonoor with his wife, Madhu and prefers to keep it that way only.
What are your thoughts on Rakesh Sharma and his decision to live a remote life in Tamil Nadu? Does he deserves much more fame and recognition? Let us know.
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