Want to go to space again, as a tourist: Rakesh Sharma
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Wing Commander (Retd) Rakesh Sharma, the first Indian to touch the frontier of space, addresses students at the 20th edition of Techfest, the signature science and technology exhibition of IIT-Bombay, on Saturday. dh Photo
Thirty-two years after he became the first Indian astronaut, Rakesh Sharma’s craving for space travel has not died down and he would love to do it again, but this time as a tourist.
“Last time I visited, I was busy (working) every minute,” Wing Commander (Retd) Sharma said at the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay at Powai here, where he had come to attend the 20th edition of Techfest, the institute’s signature science and technology exhibition.
“Space is a great place to visit, but may not be a great place to work. It is tough… there are several challenges… but there you can see the vastness of space,” said the 67-year-old former Indian Air Force officer and an ace test pilot. “I would love to go again, but someone will have to buy me a ticket. I am told it is around 20 million dollars,” he said.
Love for India
Sharma, a recipient of the Ashok Chakra, flew aboard the Soviet rocket Soyuz T-11, which blasted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic on April 2, 1984, and spent seven days, 21 hours and 40 minutes at the Salyut 7 Orbital Station before returning to earth. When the then prime minister Indira Gandhi asked him how India looked from outer space, he had replied: “saare jahan se achcha”.
During the interaction with students, he said: “I would say I was right, we are a great country, a great nation. Our potential is next to none.” During an informal chat with this DH correspondent, he added, “India has had an inclusive philosophy for ages. We have not plundered on the riches of others.”
Sharma said that as a child he had dreamt of becoming a fighter pilot. “I just wanted to fly fighter jets. Eventually, I found myself doing that. When I was less than 23, I was part of a war (the 1971 Indo-Pak war), and at around 26 or 27, I started testing aircraft. At 36, I reached space,” he said, adding, “I was confident, I was medically fit, I was psychologically fit and I was lucky.”
There are talks about adapting the life of Sharma on big screen, where Aamir Khan would play the role of the astronaut. Saare jahan se achcha is likely to be the name of the film.
“Last time I visited, I was busy (working) every minute,” Wing Commander (Retd) Sharma said at the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay at Powai here, where he had come to attend the 20th edition of Techfest, the institute’s signature science and technology exhibition.
“Space is a great place to visit, but may not be a great place to work. It is tough… there are several challenges… but there you can see the vastness of space,” said the 67-year-old former Indian Air Force officer and an ace test pilot. “I would love to go again, but someone will have to buy me a ticket. I am told it is around 20 million dollars,” he said.
Love for India
Sharma, a recipient of the Ashok Chakra, flew aboard the Soviet rocket Soyuz T-11, which blasted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic on April 2, 1984, and spent seven days, 21 hours and 40 minutes at the Salyut 7 Orbital Station before returning to earth. When the then prime minister Indira Gandhi asked him how India looked from outer space, he had replied: “saare jahan se achcha”.
During the interaction with students, he said: “I would say I was right, we are a great country, a great nation. Our potential is next to none.” During an informal chat with this DH correspondent, he added, “India has had an inclusive philosophy for ages. We have not plundered on the riches of others.”
Sharma said that as a child he had dreamt of becoming a fighter pilot. “I just wanted to fly fighter jets. Eventually, I found myself doing that. When I was less than 23, I was part of a war (the 1971 Indo-Pak war), and at around 26 or 27, I started testing aircraft. At 36, I reached space,” he said, adding, “I was confident, I was medically fit, I was psychologically fit and I was lucky.”
There are talks about adapting the life of Sharma on big screen, where Aamir Khan would play the role of the astronaut. Saare jahan se achcha is likely to be the name of the film.