Rakesh Sharma (born 13 January 1949) is a former Indian Air Force pilot who flew aboard Soyuz T-11, launched on 2 April 1984, as part of the Interkosmos programme. Sharma is the first Indian citizen to travel in space.
Soyuz T-10 was the third long-duration expedition to the Salyut 7 space station. The mission began on 8 February 1984, 12:07:26 UTC, launching Commander Leonid Kizim, Flight Engineer Vladimir Solovyov and Research Cosmonaut Oleg Atkov into orbit. They docked with the station the next day. During their 237-day stay on the station, crew performed various scientific and medical experiments, performed six EVAs for station maintenance, and were visited by Soyuz T-11 and Soyuz T-12 missions. Soyuz T-10, per usual, swapped vehicles with the Soyuz T-11 crew, which allowed for a longer stay on the station. The mission concluded with a safe landing back on Earth on October 2, 1984, 10:57:00 UTC.
Low Earth OrbitSoyuz T-11 was the sixth mission to visit the Salyut 7 space station and the first to visit the long-duration Soyuz T-10 resident crew of the station. The mission began on April 3, 1984, 13:08:00 UTC, launching Commander Yury Malyshev, Flight Engineer Gennady Strekalov and Research Cosmonaut Rakesh Sharma, the first Indian cosmonaut, into orbit. They docked with the station the next day. During their 7-day stay on the station, crew performed various scientific experiments. Soyuz T-11, per usual, swapped their vehicles with the resident Soyuz T-10 crew, which allowed for a longer stay on the station. The crew returned in Soyuz T-11 spacecraft, landing safely back on Earth on October 2, 1984, 10:57:00 UTC.
Low Earth OrbitThe Roscosmos State Corporation for Space Activities, commonly known as Roscosmos, is the governmental body responsible for the space science program of the Russian Federation and general aerospace research. Soyuz has many launch locations the Russian sites are Baikonur, Plesetsk and Vostochny however Ariane also purchases the vehicle and launches it from French Guiana.