ASTANA – Kazakhstan marks the 35th anniversary of Toktar Aubakirov’s historic spaceflight on Oct. 2. His mission made him the first Kazakh to travel into space, marking a significant milestone in the country’s space history.
Toktar Aubakirov. Photo credit: Aubakirov’s Instagram page.
In 1991, Aubakirov launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome aboard the Soyuz TM-13 spacecraft with Soviet cosmonaut Alexander Volkov and Austrian researcher Franz Viehböck. The crew traveled to the Mir space station, where Aubakirov spent around a week before returning to Earth on Oct. 10.
The mission was notable both politically and technically. For Austria and Kazakhstan, it marked their first national representatives’ journey into space. The crew also had an unusual composition, with Volkov serving as commander and Aubakirov and Viehböck as research cosmonauts.
Aubakirov’s preparation for the mission took around five months, drawing on his experience as a test pilot.
From May 20 to July 10, 1991, he trained under Kazakhstan’s visiting expedition program as a research cosmonaut alongside Valery Korzun and Alexander Alexandrov for a mission planned for November. However, shortages of launch vehicles and spacecraft, along with efforts to reduce costs, led to changes in the mission plan. Aubakirov was included in the Soviet-Austrian crew for the Austromir-91 program as a research cosmonaut.
From left to right: Toktar Aubakirov, Franz Viehböck and Alexander Volkov. Photo credit: Roscosmos Facebook page
During the mission, Aubakirov conducted five scientific experiments. The crew studied sandstorms in the Aral Sea region and carried out medical and biological research. They also examined the behavior of metal melts under microgravity, with samples returned to Earth for further study.
The mission also included testing specialized food products developed for spaceflight, including freeze-dried versions of traditional Kazakh foods such as airan, irimshik and meat.
Aubakirov later recalled that he had initially been reluctant to accept an offer to become a cosmonaut. He was first approached about a spaceflight in 1985 but declined because he wanted to continue his work as a test pilot. He accepted the offer in 1991.
Recalling the launch of Soyuz TM-13, Aubakirov described seeing Earth from orbit as one of the mission’s most memorable moments.
“I saw the Earth. We were leaving her, and she was leaving us. It was an indescribable sight. I was amazed by such beauty. Our Earth is indescribably beautiful,” he said.
Aubakirov’s flight came during a period of major political change. Kazakhstan declared its independence from the Soviet Union on Dec. 16, 1991, more than two months after the mission. Earlier, on Aug. 31, 1991, Kazakhstan declared the Baikonur Cosmodrome and the surrounding territory its property. The launch also coincided with steps to establish Kazakhstan’s own national space institutions.
From Mir to new space research
Aubakirov visited the National Space Center in Astana for the completion of the SANA-1 project in 2025. Photo credit: The Astana Times
More than three decades later, Aubakirov continues to take part in discussions about Kazakhstan’s space research.
In 2025, he visited the National Space Center in Astana for the completion of the SANA-1 project, Kazakhstan’s first long-duration crew-isolation experiment designed to simulate conditions of a space mission.
The experiment examined the physiological, cognitive and emotional adaptation of an all-female engineering crew.
During the visit, Aubakirov reflected on the broader role of space research and its connection to Kazakhstan’s future.
“Space, as a boundless, bottomless and endless expanse, offers great opportunities to study our past and, most importantly, our future,” he said.
Aubakirov highlighted that such projects demonstrate the scientific potential Kazakhstan can draw on as it develops its space and research capabilities.
