Rakesh Sharma Turns 77: Celebrating India's First Astronaut and Space Pioneer

• Rakesh Sharma, India's first astronaut, celebrated his 77th birthday on January 13th.
• He went to space in 1984 aboard the Soviet Soyuz T-11 spacecraft, spending 7 days, 21 hours, and 40 minutes in orbit.
• During his mission, he conducted scientific experiments, took photographs of Earth, and famously described India as "Better than any other place in the world."
• Sharma's journey, part of the Soviet Interkosmos programme, demonstrated India's potential in complex space programs and inspired ISRO's future missions.
• His legacy continues to inspire Indian scientists and aerospace engineers, paving the way for independent space missions like Chandrayaan and Gaganyaan.

Why It Matters: Rakesh Sharma's historic 1984 space mission as India's first astronaut paved the way for future Indian space exploration.