The Hindu dated 11 February 2008

Staff Reporter

unforgettable: Astronaut Rakesh Sharma interacts with students in Chennai on Saturday.

CHENNAI: Wing Commander (Retired) Rakesh Sharma, the first Indian astronaut to venture into space aboard the Russian spacecraft Soyuz T-11 in 1984, said he had never dreamt of becoming an astronaut.

At a function organised at Velammal Matriculation Higher Secondary School, T.S. Krishna Nagar, on Saturday he distributed cash prizes and awards to winners of a State-level Science talent search exam conducted by the school.

Cash prizes worth about Rs.4 lakh were distributed to students across the State.

The former astronaut narrated his experiences in space, in a lively interaction with the students. “I never had dreams of becoming an astronaut because at that time India did not have a manned space programme, unlike Kalpana Chawla, who dreamt of becoming an astronaut, went to the U.S. and became one,” he said. He advised the students not to say no when opportunities came their way. Accept it and give it your best shot, he added.

On his first feeling after stepping into the rocket that took him to space, Mr. Sharma said: “It is a culmination of entire training period. I waited for that moment for one-and-a half years. It was full of excitement and curiosity”.

N. Vasudevan, Backward Classes Secretary, School Chairman M.V. Muthuramalingam and Correspondent M.V.M. Velmohan were present.