<p>Mumbai: Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma (Retd) and Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla got their first military training at the National Defence Academy (NDA) at Khadakwasla in Pune, the joint defence service training institution of the Indian Armed Forces. </p><p>On 3 April 1984, Sharma, then a Squadron Leader, became the first Indian to orbit in space - and later was awarded Ashok Chakra, the highest peace-time military decoration. </p> .Lucknow celebrates as city-boy Shubhanshu Shukla pilots historic Axiom-4 Space Mission.<p>41 years later, on 25 June, 2025, Grp Capt Shukla became the second person to follow suit as he headed to the International Space Station. </p><p>Wg Cdr Sharma joined the NDA in July 1966 while Grp Capt Shukla in 1999 post the Kargil conflict. </p><p>Wg Cdr Sharma was a MiG-21 fighter pilot and flew combat missions during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. He was selected on September 20 1982 to become a cosmonaut and go into space as part of a joint programme between the Indian Air Force and the Soviet Interkosmos space programme.</p> .<p>After retirement, he joined Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) in 1987 and served as the chief test pilot in the HAL Nashik Division until 1992, before moving on to Bengaluru to work as HAL's chief test pilot. He retired from flying in 2001.</p><p>On the other hand, Grp Capt Shukla flew various aircraft - MiG-21, Sukhoi Su-30MKI, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier 228 and An 32.</p><p>Wg Cdr became the first citizen of India to go into space when he flew aboard the Soviet rocket Soyuz T-11 blasted off from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic on the second of April 1984. </p><p>The Soyuz T-11 docked and transferred the three member Soviet-Indian international crew which also included the Ship's Commander Yury Malyshev and Flight Engineer Gennadi Strekalov (USSR) to the Salyut 7 Orbital Station. </p><p>He spent 7 days 21 hours and 40 minutes aboard the Salyut 7 during which his team conducted scientific and technical studies which included 43 experimental sessions.</p><p>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. Later, he was conferred Ashok Chakra. </p>
<p>Mumbai: Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma (Retd) and Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla got their first military training at the National Defence Academy (NDA) at Khadakwasla in Pune, the joint defence service training institution of the Indian Armed Forces. </p><p>On 3 April 1984, Sharma, then a Squadron Leader, became the first Indian to orbit in space - and later was awarded Ashok Chakra, the highest peace-time military decoration. </p> .Lucknow celebrates as city-boy Shubhanshu Shukla pilots historic Axiom-4 Space Mission.<p>41 years later, on 25 June, 2025, Grp Capt Shukla became the second person to follow suit as he headed to the International Space Station. </p><p>Wg Cdr Sharma joined the NDA in July 1966 while Grp Capt Shukla in 1999 post the Kargil conflict. </p><p>Wg Cdr Sharma was a MiG-21 fighter pilot and flew combat missions during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. He was selected on September 20 1982 to become a cosmonaut and go into space as part of a joint programme between the Indian Air Force and the Soviet Interkosmos space programme.</p> .<p>After retirement, he joined Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) in 1987 and served as the chief test pilot in the HAL Nashik Division until 1992, before moving on to Bengaluru to work as HAL's chief test pilot. He retired from flying in 2001.</p><p>On the other hand, Grp Capt Shukla flew various aircraft - MiG-21, Sukhoi Su-30MKI, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier 228 and An 32.</p><p>Wg Cdr became the first citizen of India to go into space when he flew aboard the Soviet rocket Soyuz T-11 blasted off from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic on the second of April 1984. </p><p>The Soyuz T-11 docked and transferred the three member Soviet-Indian international crew which also included the Ship's Commander Yury Malyshev and Flight Engineer Gennadi Strekalov (USSR) to the Salyut 7 Orbital Station. </p><p>He spent 7 days 21 hours and 40 minutes aboard the Salyut 7 during which his team conducted scientific and technical studies which included 43 experimental sessions.</p><p>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. Later, he was conferred Ashok Chakra. </p>