India exalts spaceman

Press, 13 April 1984, Page 8

India exalts spaceman

NZPA-AP New Delhi, India hailed the return to Earth of its first spaceman yesterday and awarded him' a prestigious medal of gallantry. Squadron Leader Rakesh Shanna and two Soviet collegues landed their Soyuz TlO spacecraft in central Asia after eight days in orbit, where they spent most of their time aboard the Salyut 7 space station. “Cosmonaut Rakesh Sharma, welcome back to Earth,” the Indian Prime Minister, Mrs Indira Gandhi, said in a congratulatory message, “You have furthered the cause of science and Indo-Soviet friendship. We look forward to meeting you in your homeland.” ; The Indian President, Mr Zail Singh, also sent a separate message. Squadron Leader Sharma’s mother, Tripiti, said in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh that she was “extremely happy and thrilled” at the safe return of her son.

It was announced in New Delhi that Squadron Leader Shanna, aged 35, would receive the Ashok Chakra Medal for gallantry. His Soviet colleagues, Colonel Yuri Malyshev, and Gennadi Strekalov, will also receive the award, one of India’s highest. Wing Commander Ravish Malhotra, Squadron Leader Sharma’s back-up, would be awarded the Kirti Chakra

Medal for his “active participation in the preparation and implementation” of the mission.

Squadron Leader Sharma was the eleventh foreigner to take part in a Soviet space mission. Tass news agency said that experts in New Delhi had considered the work done during his mission worth millions of dollars to the country. During their time at the space station the visitors worked together with three resident crew on a packed schedule of photographic surveys, scientific experiments, and medical tests.

Most of the survey work was done as the craft passed over India and was intended to help agriculture and forestry planning, as well as the hunt for oil and gas reserves.

The experiments, focusing on behaviour of molten metals, were also partly worked out by India’s. advanced technology industries. All the crewmen took gart in medical tests but quadron Leader Sharma also had his own special daily yoga programme. Soviet space planners believe that yoga may prove beneficial in helping cosmonauts adjust to the physical and mental strains of weightlessness. Before leaving Salyut 7 the three cosmonauts packed films, sound cassettes, and research data aboard their return craft.