Human Spaceflight Human spaceflight is one of the greatest achievements of the modern age. Not content to master flight in the atmosphere, inventors, engineers, scientists, and visionaries in the U.S.S.R. and the United States pressed ahead to explore space. Imagining a future when people could travel easily into space to explore new worlds or to live and work in Earth orbit, they developed the technology for human saceflight. With varying degrees of political leadership and public support, the United States, Soviet Union/Russia, and other nations have made human spaceflight a priority. Human spaceflight is a story of the daring and ingenuity of countless people in space and on the ground who brought the Space Age into being. The Human Role in Space Since the first venture into space by Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin in 1961, followed by U.S. astronauts Alan Shepard and Virgil “Gus” Grissom in 1961 and John Glenn in 1962, more than 500 men and women have flown in space, some staying months at a time. People have circled the Earth in small capsules and huge Space Shuttles. They have floated in open space, delivered satellites, conducted laboratory experiments, repaired space telescopes, and built a space station. Twenty-four men have flown to the Moon and back (three of them went twice), and twelve of them explored its landscape. Why Send People? Both people and machines are capable space explorers, and both have carried out missions with impressive results. Robotic explorers are less expensive, but they lack the experience and judgment that make humans valuable in space. The intelligence, skill, problem-solving ability, and personality of astronauts have been central to the image and popular support of space exploration. Whether the goal was to land on the Moon, build a space station, or conduct laboratory science, humans in space have captured the attention and admiration of the world.

R. Vidyasagar is Senior Director of Human Resources at EMC India Center of Excellence (COE). Vidyasagar is responsible for overseeing talent acquisition, people management practices and organizational development of the India COE with particular reference to growing the leadership pipeline for the COE. Vidyasagar will be based at Bangalore. Vidyasagar brings in more than 25 years of HR professional experience in the IT industry to EMC. He comes to EMC from the Philips Software Center, India, where he was the Senior Director of Human Resources. Vidyasagar also worked at leading technology multinationals such as Motorola India Electronics Ltd., Wipro Information Technology Group and was the Global HR Head of i-flex Solutions Limited. Vidyasagar is a member of several industry and academic groups, including CII’s core HR committee at the Country level, SHRM, India and a regular member of the Facilitators Team at Indian School of Business’ (ISB) for their Senior Leadership Development Programs. Vidyasagar has a Masters Degree in Human Resources Management from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai