The way the human body is conditioned to face the rigours of space travel has not changed much over the years, according to Rakesh Sharma, the first Indian to travel to space.
Wing Commander (Retd) Sharma was speaking online during the inauguration of an exhibition of photographs at the Russian House in Thiruvananthapuram marking the 40th anniversary of his space flight. Jointly oganised by the Russian news agency TASS and the Russian Embassy, the exhibition is being organised at all five Russian Houses in India.
Mr. Sharma noted that the four Indian astronauts-designate for the Gaganyaan mission were trained at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre where he himself had trained.
Manned space flight today uses much more reliable components, he noted.
Indian astronauts are set to travel to space after Mr. Sharma’s 1984 space flight aboard USSR’s Soyuz T-11.
The exhibition covers photographs of the preparation and training before Mr. Sharma’s space flight, the moments during the mission and reception in India and Russia. The exhibition is on till Friday.
Roman Babushkin, Deputy Chief of Mission, Russian Embassy, inaugurated the exhibition in Delhi.
Sheeju Chandran, Group Director, Technology Development and Management Group, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, inaugurated the exhibition at the Russian House in Thiruvananthapuram.
Ratheesh Nair, Honorary Consul of Russia and Director of the Russian House in Thiruvananthapuram, presided.
