38 years since the day Indian dreams soared into space – Hindustan Times

New Delhi: When cosmonaut Rakesh Sharma was asked by the then Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Upar se Bharat kaisa dikhta hai (How does India look like from space?), the response was memorable: Saare jahan se accha (better than the whole world). That statement from 38 years ago made every Indian proud of their nation.

On April 2, 1984, Indian Air Force pilot Rakesh Sharma made history by becoming the first Indian to travel to space. He was part of the Soviet Unions Soyuz T-11 expedition, a joint mission of the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) and the Soviet Intercosmos space programme.

Sharma spent seven days, 21 hours and 40 minutes in space, accompanied by two Russian cosmonauts, and added fuel to the countrys space aspirations in the years to come.

The mission conducted scientific and technical studies, including 43 experimental sessions, and Sharma was tasked with biomedicine and remote-sensing.

I orbited the Earth and our scientists carried out several experiments using our equipment. In that sense, it was an opportunity well-utilised, the now 73-year-old said about his mission.

There was another Indian cosmonaut, Ravish Malhotra, who was the backup astronaut for the same space mission in 1984. Sharma and Malhotra were among the four pilots who were shortlisted from a pool of 20 to go to Russia for the training. After conducting the medical tests, the duo was selected for the mission.

Indias space journey has come a long way since then. Isro successfully launched its first mission for 2022the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C52) on February 14.

While Isros scheduled missions in 2021 were pushed off track by the Covid-19 pandemic and the resultant lockdowns, the space agency has promised that 2022 will be a year of enhanced bilateral cooperation and possibly a new era will be ushered for space science.

The space organisation has four big-ticket space missions planned this year. These include the Gaganyaan mission which aims to send the first batch of Indian astronauts into space on an indigenously developed spacecraft; Aditya L1, Indias maiden mission to study the sun; Chandrayaan 3; and the development of Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV).

It might have taken India around four decades, but the country is expected to carry forward Sharmas achievements through its crewed Gaganyaan mission. Isro is expected to conduct the test vehicle flight for the validation of crew escape system performance, and the first uncrewed mission in the beginning of the second half of 2022.

The second uncrewed mission has been scheduled for later this year. Three Indian Air Force officers have undergone generic space flight training for the crewed mission, which could also be launched by early 2023. Isro has said over the last year that the Gaganyaan programme is aimed at demonstrating the capability to send humans to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) on board an Indian launch vehicle and bring them back safely.

Retired wing commander Sharma, who achieved the same feat four decades ago on Soyuz T-11, is also part of the national advisory council on Gaganyaan.

Speaking on the sidelines of a public function in Bengaluru in 2019, Sharma talked about Indias space mission and said, We are capable of anything. It is just that we never had the opportunity or the support to actually achieve what we are potentially capable of.

He also expressed confidence on Gaganyaans launch this year.

We are hopeful of a successful launch in 2022. We have the resources and the talent for it, said Sharma.

Newly appointed Isro chief S Somanath has also expressed his vision for carving Indias place on the global map of space exploration.

The space programme in the country needs to be opened up. The government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have spelt out their plans about Indias space aspirations and the plan is to keep a focus on it. We have several missions planned throughout this year, it will be a busy year. We have come a long way, said Somanath.

Soumya Pillai covers environment and traffic in Delhi. A journalist for three years, she has grown up in and with Delhi, which is often reflected in the stories she does about life in the city. She also enjoys writing on social innovations....view detail

Read more here:

38 years since the day Indian dreams soared into space - Hindustan Times