Toktar Aubakirov
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Toktar Aubakirov | |
---|---|
Тоқтар Әубәкіров | |
![]() Toktar Aubakirov on a 1999 stamp of Kazakhstan | |
Born | |
Status | Retired |
Nationality | Kazakh |
Occupation | Test pilot |
Awards | Hero of Kazakhstan Hero of the Soviet Union |
Space career | |
Cosmonaut | |
Rank | Major General |
Time in space | 7d 22h 12m |
Selection | 1991 Cosmonaut Group |
Missions | Soyuz TM-13, Soyuz TM-12 |
Mission insignia | ![]() |
Toktar Ongarbayuly Aubakirov (Kazakh: Тоқтар Оңғарбайұлы Әубәкіров (Toqtar Oñğarbaiūly Äubäkırov), Russian: Токтар Онгарбаевич Аубакиров, born on 27 July 1946) is a retired Kazakh Air Force officer and a former cosmonaut. He is the first person from Kazakhstan to go to space.[1]
Early life
[edit]Toktar Aubakirov was born in Karkaraly District, Karaganda Region, Kazakh SSR, which is now Kazakhstan. After graduating from the 8th grade of a secondary school he started working as a metal turner at the Temirtau foundry, whilst attending an evening school. In 1965 he joined the Armavir Military Aviation Institute of the Anti-Air Defence Pilots. He served as a fighter pilot in the Soviet Air Force on the Far East borders of the USSR until his acceptance into the Fedotov Test Pilot School in 1975.
Test pilot career
[edit]Between 1976 and 1991 Aubakirov served as a test pilot at the Mikoyan Experimental Design Bureau (MiG aircraft). During this time he tested over 50 types of aircraft. He was the first in the Soviet Union to make a nonstop flight crossing the North Pole, with two in-flight refuelings, and the first in the Soviet Union to take off from the aircraft-carrier Tbilisi (later named Kuznetsov) on a MiG 29K.
Spaceflight experience
[edit]In 1991, in accordance with an agreement between the governments of the USSR and the Kazakh SSR, started training at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center. On 2 October 1991 he launched with Russian cosmonaut Alexander Volkov as flight commander, and the Austrian research cosmonaut Franz Viehböck in Soyuz TM-13 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome spaceport, and spent over eight days in space. Their mission was the last launched by the Soviet Union, which dissolved shortly thereafter, with Aubakirov becoming a citizen of the independent Republic of Kazakhstan.
Career
[edit]Since 1993, he has been the general director of the National Aerospace Agency of Republic of Kazakhstan. He was a member of the Kazakhstan parliament. Now he is a pensioner and consultant.
Family
[edit]Toktar Aubakirov is married to Tatyana Aubakirova. They have two children: Timur (born in 1977) and Mikhail (born in 1982).
Awards and honors
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/90/ToktarAwbakirov.jpg/180px-ToktarAwbakirov.jpg)
- Hero of Soviet Union (1988) – Test flights of MiG aircraft
- People's Hero of Kazakhstan (Halyk Kaharmany) (1995)
- Order of Otan (Kazakhstan) (1995)
- Order of Lenin (1988)
- Honoured Test Pilot of the USSR (1990)
- Pilot-Cosmonaut of the USSR (1991, last recipient)
- Pilot-Cosmonaut of Kazakhstan (1994, first recipient)
- Order of the Badge of Honour (1987)
- Decoration of Honour in Gold for Services to the Republic of Austria (Goldenes Ehrenzeichen), twice (1988 and 1993)
- Order of the October Revolution (1991)
- Medal "For Merit in Space Exploration" (12 April 2011) – for outstanding contribution to the development of international cooperation in manned space flight
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 10 October 2019. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
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: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)