By Tomiris Bilyal
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Kazakhstan’s first cosmonaut, Toktar Aubakirov, recalls his historic 1991 spaceflight and the pride it sparked across his nation.
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In October 1991, Toktar Aubakirov became Kazakhstan’s first cosmonaut, flying under the newly created “Kazakhstan Garysh” space programme. A former test pilot who pioneered record-breaking flights with MiG-29 and MiG-31 jets, he was chosen by the first President Nursultan Nazarbayev to represent the nation in orbit.
Aubakirov spent eight days in space, conducting groundbreaking medical experiments, including the first blood samples taken during launch and landing. “I fulfilled the mission my people had been waiting for,” he recalls, describing the overwhelming pride that greeted his return.
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