Sharma was born in Patiala, Punjab, India on 13 January 1949. He joined the Indian Air Force in 1970 and flew 21 combat missions in a MiG-21 in the Bangladesh war of 1971. In 1982, he was selected as a cosmonaut for a joint Soviet-Indian spaceflight.
Sharma and his crewmates, Soviet cosmonauts Yuri Malyshev and Gennady Strekalov, launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on 3 April 1984. They docked with the Salyut 7 space station the following day. During their 7-day mission, Sharma conducted a number of scientific experiments, including photography of India from space and exercises to study the effects of yoga on the body during weightlessness.
Sharma and his crewmates returned to Earth on 11 April 1984. He was awarded the Hero of the Soviet Union and the Padma Bhushan, India's third-highest civilian award, for his achievements.
Sharma's spaceflight was a major milestone in India's space programme. It inspired a generation of Indians to pursue careers in science and technology, and it helped to raise India's profile on the world stage.
After his spaceflight, Sharma retired from the Indian Air Force and worked as a consultant for the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). He is now a motivational speaker and author. He has written two books about his experiences in space: "An Indian in Space" and "Wings of Fire".
Sharma is a national hero in India. He is an inspiration to many people, and he is a symbol of India's growing scientific and technological prowess.
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