Toktar Aubakirov
Who was Toktar Aubakirov?
First Kazakh cosmonaut who flew to space in 1991 aboard Soyuz TM-13, later becoming a politician and serving in the Kazakhstani government.
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Toktar Aubakirov (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Toktar Ongarbayuly Aubakirov was born on July 27, 1946, in the Karkaraly District of what was then the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic. He pursued a career in aviation, studying at the Moscow Aviation Institute and later doing advanced training at the Fedotov Test Pilot School. These schools helped him become one of the most skilled test pilots in the Soviet Union. During his military career, he evaluated many experimental aircraft and rose to the rank of officer in both the Soviet and later the Kazakh Air Force.
Before Fame
Growing up in Karkaraly District, Kazakhstan during the post-war Soviet era, Aubakirov experienced a time when aviation and space exploration were central to Soviet goals. The launch of Sputnik in 1957 and Yuri Gagarin's flight in 1961 excited young people across the USSR, and for a gifted student from Kazakhstan, a career in aerospace was both attainable and prestigious. He attended the Moscow Aviation Institute, a top school for Soviet aeronautical engineering, and his training at the Fedotov Test Pilot School honed his skills to an elite level. By the 1980s, he had built a distinguished record as a test pilot, earning the Order of the Badge of Honour in 1981 and the Order of Lenin, along with being named Hero of the Soviet Union in 1988, honors that highlighted both his technical expertise and his contributions to Soviet aviation.
Key Achievements
- Became the first person from Kazakhstan to travel to space, flying aboard Soyuz TM-13 in 1991.
- Awarded Hero of the Soviet Union in 1988 for distinguished service as a test pilot.
- Received the Hero of Kazakhstan designation in 1995 following independence.
- Trained at and graduated from the Fedotov Test Pilot School, one of the USSR's most demanding aviation programs.
- Served in the Kazakhstani government after independence, contributing to the development of the new republic's institutions.
Did You Know?
- 01.Aubakirov flew to space aboard Soyuz TM-13 in October 1991, just months before the dissolution of the Soviet Union, meaning he launched as a Soviet citizen and returned to a transformed political world.
- 02.He is the first person from Kazakhstan to travel to space, a distinction that earned him the title Hero of Kazakhstan in 1995, four years after his spaceflight.
- 03.His spaceflight on Soyuz TM-13 was part of a mission that also carried Austrian cosmonaut Franz Viehböck, which is reflected in Aubakirov later receiving Austria's Honour in Gold for Services to the Republic of Austria in 1993.
- 04.Aubakirov received the title Pilot-Cosmonaut of Kazakhstan in 1994, a newly created national designation reflecting Kazakhstan's status as an independent state after 1991.
- 05.After his spaceflight career he transitioned into politics, serving in the government of independent Kazakhstan, representing a generation of Soviet-era figures who adapted to new national institutions.
Awards & Honors
| Award | Year | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Order of Lenin | 1988 | — |
| Hero of the Soviet Union | 1988 | — |
| Order of the October Revolution | 1991 | — |
| Honour in Gold for Services to the Republic of Austria | 1993 | — |
| Order of the Badge of Honour | 1981 | — |
| Pilot-Cosmonaut of the USSR | 1991 | — |
| Medal "For Merit in Space Exploration" | 2011 | — |
| Hero of the Kazakhstan | 1995 | — |
| Order of Fatherland | 1995 | — |
| Pilot-Cosmonaut of Kazakhstan | 1994 | — |
| Merited Test Pilot of the USSR | 1990 | — |