Russian Deputy Chief of Mission Roman Babushkin commends India’s impressive accomplishments in space exploration and reaffirms Russia’s steadfast backing for its space initiatives. On the 40th anniversary of the landmark spaceflight of India’s first cosmonaut, Rakesh Sharma, aboard the Soviet spacecraft Soyuz T-11 in 1984, Babushkin highlights the enduring collaboration between Russia and India in the space domain.
Babushkin’s statements also underscore the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission and the collaborative efforts in the Gaganyan project. “Russia has always been favouring Indian success,” Babushkin tells ANI, underscoring the historic partnership epitomized by figures like Rakesh Sharma.
Significantly, he commemorates Rakesh Sharma’s milestone, who made history as India’s inaugural astronaut. He praises India’s independent space research program, which not only benefits the nation but also extends assistance to other countries in satellite launches. Ahead of the 77th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two nations, Babushkin highlights Russia’s steadfast support for India’s space ventures, emphasizing India’s significant strides in the field.
From Chandrayaan-3’s recent success to the ambitious Gaganyan mission, Russia has played a crucial role in nurturing India’s space capabilities, including astronaut training and spacecraft development.
India and Russia Space Relations
“The space domain stands as a testament to our special and privileged strategic partnership,” he also said, addressing the gathering at the Russian embassy here on the occasion.
“Russia, as a pioneer in space exploration, has always favoured Indian success. Our engagements date back to 1975, when the Soviet Union helped launch Aryabhata, India’s first satellite. The second satellite, Bhaskara, was launched by the Soviet Union in 1979,” he added.
Mentioning India’s Chandrayaan Mission, he went on to say, “Now India, having developed its robust national space programme, by right enjoys the status of a space super-power, well-reputed, reliable and preferred global partner for space science and satellite launching. The successful Chandrayaan-3 project is a huge landmark.”
Speaking further on the India-Russia space collaboration, Babushkin underlined the ISRO and Roscosmos cooperation.
India and Russia Space Legacy
Babushkin emphasized the close coordination between India and Russia at dedicated multilateral platforms, notably the UN and its Outer Space Committee. He also emphasized the significance of the month of April as a reason for celebration.
On Wednesday, the Russian Embassy and TASS News Agency co-hosted a dedicated photo exhibition featuring a unique archive of photographic materials, alongside the screening of the documentary “How I Became a Cosmonaut.”
“Rakesh Sharma went on to become the first Indian citizen to reach outer space when he flew aboard the Soviet rocket Soyuz T-11 launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome. He spent 7 days, 21 hours and 40 minutes in space and took India to become the 14th nation to travel to outer space. Sharma’s work was mainly in the fields of biomedicine and remote sensing.”
Sharma conducted various scientific studies and experiments during his mission, covering areas such as remote sensing and biomedicine. The crew also engaged in a conference with space officials. When then-Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi, inquired how India appeared from outer space, Sharma replied, “Saare Jahaan Se Achcha.”
