Squadron Leader Rakesh Sharma became the first Indian to orbit in space aboard Soyuz T-11 on 3 April 1984, and received the Ashoka Chakra.
Baikonur, 3 April 1984
Soyuz T-11 lifted off from Baikonur on 3 April 1984 with Squadron Leader Rakesh Sharma as research cosmonaut, Yuri Malyshev in command and Gennady Strekalov as flight engineer. Sharma became the first Indian to orbit in space.
The crew docked with Salyut 7. Published accounts say Sharma's team carried out 43 experimental sessions, mainly in biomedicine and remote sensing. He landed on 11 April after 7 days, 21 hours and 40 minutes.
One of 150 Pilots
The flight was the end of a two-year process. When India and the Soviet Union decided in January 1982 to send an Indian into space, Sharma volunteered. He was picked as one of two candidates from among 150 Indian Air Force pilots, then trained at the Yuri Gagarin Centre in the USSR.
The official record lists him as service number 12396 of 14 Squadron, with domicile at Secunderabad. Published accounts give his birthplace as Patiala and his birth date as 13 January 1949. He later retired as a Wing Commander.
Besides the Ashoka Chakra, Sharma was made a Hero of the Soviet Union. A notification cited in Wikipedia is numbered 57-Pres/85 and dated 7 May 1985, with the award effective from 3 April 1984.
The citation
SQUADRON LEADER RAKESH SHARMA (12396) FLYING( PILOT) (Effective date of award – 3rd April 1984)
In January, 1982, when it was decided that an Indian would go into space on a Soviet space ship, Sqn Ldr Rakesh Sharma volunteered for this very challenging mission. After a very rigorous selection process, which included a most exacting medical test, he was selected as one of the two cosmonaut candidates from among 150 highly qualified and experienced pilots of the Indian Air Force. After his selection, he underwent training as a cosmonaut at YURI GAGARIN CENTRE in the USSR, where he applied himself with total devotion and dedication and won acclaim from Soviet Space experts. Sqn Ldr Rakesh Sharma completed a most arduous training schedule, with distinction and with exceptional professionalism.
On the 3rd April, 1984 Sqn Ldr Rakesh Sharma became the first Indian to orbit in space. He carried out all the scientific experiments planned for the joint Indo-Soviet Space Mission and other tasks assigned to him with great facility and excellence. Sqn Ldr Sharma not only has carved out a place for himself in the space roll of honour but has brought glory and credit to the nation.
Squadron Leader Rakesh Sharma has thus displayed most conspicuous daring and courage to become the first Indian to go into space.
Source: Ministry of Defence gallantry awards record. Reproduced as printed, including any errors in the original.
Cover image: Subhav Sharma, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Resized for this page. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rakesh_Sharma.jpg