File:Rakesh_Sharma.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
Rakesh Sharma
Sign in to saveAlso known as Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma, SQUADRON LEADER RAKESH SHARMA
First Indian astronaut
Key facts
- Born
- ( 1949-01-13 ) 13 January 1949 (age 77) , Patiala , PEPSU , India , (now in Punjab , India)
- Status
- Retired
- Alma mater
- National Defence Academy , Air Force Academy
- Occupations
- Fighter pilot Cosmonaut Test pilot
- Time in space
- 7 days, 21 hours, 40 minutes
- Selection
- Intercosmos (1982)
- Missions
- Soyuz T-11
- Allegiance
- India
- Branch
- Indian Air Force
- Service years
- 1970 – 1990
- Rank
- Wing Commander
- Service number
- 12396 F(P)
- Conflicts
- 1971 Indo-Pakistani War
- Awards
- Ashok Chakra , Hero of the Soviet Union
- Spouse
- Madhu Sharma
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- human
- Family name
- Sharma
- Gender
- male
- Citizenship
- India
- Place of birth
- Patiala
- Educated at
- Nizam College
- Award
- Order of Lenin
- Military branch
- Indian Air Force
- Military rank
- squadron leader
- Image
- Rakesh Sharma.jpg
Show 6 more facts
via Wikidata · CC0
~5 min read
Encyclopedic overview
Rakesh Sharma (born 13 January 1949) is an Indian cosmonaut and a pilot of the Indian Air Force. He became the first Indian to travel to outer space, when he flew aboard Soyuz T-11 on 3 April 1984 as part of the Soviet Interkosmos programme.
Early and personal life
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Rakesh Sharma” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.