NASA Administrator Bill Nelson Holds Historic Meeting with Rakesh Sharma, India’s First Astronaut

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson had a delightful meeting with students at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in Bengaluru, where he also had the opportunity to meet Rakesh Sharma, the first Indian to fly to space. Sharing his excitement on social media, Nelson expressed his honor to speak with the students and praised Sharma’s inspiring story. Sharma made history on April 2, 1984, when he became the first Indian citizen to reach outer space aboard the Soviet rocket Soyuz T-11. During his 7-day, 21-hour, and 40-minute journey, Sharma conducted various scientific studies and experiments, primarily in the fields of bio-medicine and remote sensing. He even had a conference with space officials and famously described India from space as “Saare Jahaan Se Achcha” when asked by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Sharma highlighted the beauty of sunrises and sunsets in space and emphasized India’s leadership in the field. Nelson’s visit to India is part of the US-India initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology and aims to deepen bilateral cooperation in areas like human exploration and Earth science. He will also be visiting the UAE for meetings with government officials.