New Delhi: On this day, April 3, 1984, Rakesh Sharma scripted history by becoming the first Indian to reach outer space on board the Soviet rocket Soyuz T-11. The Indian Air Force on Wednesday paid tribute to Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma, the only Indian to have gone into space on the anniversary of his space journey on this day, 40 years ago.
The IAF, in a post on X, said, "As India charters its path towards the Gaganyaan Mission, on this day, we remember the heroic space flight undertaken by then Sqn Ldr Rakesh Sharma. The first Cosmonaut of India, Sqn Ldr Rakesh undertook his space journey on this day, 40 years ago.
The IAF also wrote a line of the very famous patriotic song 'Sare Jahan Se Achcha' written by poet Allama Iqbal, the same one quoted by Rakesh Sharma when asked by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi how India looked from space.
The Russian Embassy in India also took to X to commemorate the day. "On April 3, 1984, the Soyuz-U launch vehicle put into orbit the Soyuz T-11 spacecraft under the #Intercosmos program. The crew consisting of #Soviet cosmonauts Yuri Malyshev and Gennady Strekalov included #India's first cosmonaut — Rakesh Sharma."
"Warm congratulations to Hero Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma and all Indians on the 40th anniversary of the first ever Indian space flight aboard Soviet Soyuz T-11 spacecraft," Denis Alipov, Russian Ambassador to India said.
Sharma’s space journey began on April 3, 1984, as he boarded the Soyuz T-11 spacecraft launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic. His journey lasted 7 days, 21 hours, and 40 minutes, making India the 14th nation to venture into outer space.
At that time, Sharma got a chance to communicate with the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi from space. Indira Gandhi asked Sharma how did India look from space. "Sare jaha se achcha" (It is the best in the world), Rakesh replied to Gandhi's question.
The Soyuz T-11 spacecraft carrying cosmonauts including Sharma docked and transferred the three-member Soviet-Indian international crew, consisting of the ship's commander, Yury Malyshev, and flight engineer, Gennadi Strekalov, to the Salyut 7 Orbital Station.
Sharma was conferred the honour of the Hero of the Soviet Union upon his return from space. He remains to date the only Indian to have been conferred this honour. India also conferred its highest peacetime gallantry award, the Ashoka Chakra to Rakesh Sharma.
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