The exhibition "Kazakhstan’s Starry Path: Honoring Space Heroes' Anniversaries" has opened at the Presidential Center of the Republic of Kazakhstan. This event commemorates the 35th anniversary of the first Kazakh cosmonaut Toktar Aubakirov’s spaceflight, his 80th birthday, and the 75th birthday of Talgat Musabayev, the first cosmonaut of independent Kazakhstan.
On October 2, 1991, Toktar Aubakirov, the first Kazakh cosmonaut, Hero of the Soviet Union, People's Hero of Kazakhstan, and Major General of Aviation, launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome aboard the Soyuz TM-13 spacecraft. This mission marked the first spaceflight in Kazakhstan’s history and became a significant milestone that strengthened national confidence in the early years of independence.
The exhibition prominently features the space career of Talgat Musabayev, Kazakhstan's first cosmonaut, People's Hero of Kazakhstan, Hero of Russia, and Lieutenant General of Aviation. He completed three space missions, spending a total of 341 days, 9 hours and 48 minutes in space, and performed seven spacewalks totaling 41 hours and 15 minutes of extravehicular activity.
The event was co-organized by the Aerospace Committee of the Ministry of Digital Development, Innovations and Aerospace Industry of the Republic of Kazakhstan, in collaboration with several domestic space industry enterprises.
More than 100 attendees participated in the opening ceremony, including representatives from government agencies, international organizations, domestic space industry enterprises, and the public.
The ceremony commenced with a minute of silence in memory of Talgat Musabayev, Kazakhstan's first cosmonaut.
In his welcoming remarks, Bakhytzhan Temirbolat, Director of the Presidential Center of the Republic of Kazakhstan, highlighted: “In this milestone year marking the 35th anniversary of our independence, we also observe another date of profound symbolic significance for our sovereign state: the 35th anniversary of the space flight of the first Kazakh cosmonaut, T. Aubakirov. This historic mission took place on October 2, 1991, serving as a prelude to the independence we proclaimed on December 16, 1991. Following in the footsteps of T. Aubakirov, cosmonauts T. Musabayev and A. Aimbetov continued Kazakhstan’s illustrious space legacy. People's Hero Talgat Musabayev, who would have turned 75 this year, holds a special place in our nation’s space program history. Our renowned compatriot flew into space three times, spending over a year in orbit, including more than 24 hours in open space. Another of our cosmonauts, People's Hero A. Aimbetov, is here with us today. He currently heads the joint Kazakh-Russian enterprise "Baiterek" and played a key role in Kazakhstan’s entry into the community of space-faring nations”.
The exhibition features more than 170 museum artefacts and educational historical materials from the collections of the Presidential Center of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Military-Historical Museum of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and the Aktobe Regional Planetarium. Sara Nurgalieva, a Baikonur veteran, chronicler of Kazakhstan’s space program, and renowned journalist, also provided additional items.
In his address, Baubek Oralmagambetov, Chairman of the Aerospace Committee of the Ministry of Digital Development, Innovations and Aerospace Industry of the Republic of Kazakhstan, emphasized the key role of our cosmonauts in the development of the national space industry: "These people have laid a solid foundation for the modern space industry. Currently, Kazakhstan has 5 satellites in low-Earth orbit. We produce spacecraft not only for our own needs, but also for export, and this is a higher level of technological development in our country. In addition, on April 30, the first test launch of the Sunkar medium-class launch vehicle was successfully carried out at the Baikonur cosmodrome from the Baiterek space rocket complex. This launch confirmed the readiness of the complex for operation and its potential for Kazakhstan's entry into the space services market".
Aidyn Aimbetov, Chairman of the Board of "NC 'Baiterek' JSC," "Kazakhstan's Hero" (Khalyk Kaharmany), and cosmonaut expressed special gratitude to the staff of the Presidential Center of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and also shared his vision of the development of the country's space activities: "Exactly 35 years have passed since the first flight of a Kazakh cosmonaut into space, but for the universe it is just a moment. And during this period, Kazakhstan has already established and operates its own Assembly and Testing Complex of spacecraft, where our young specialists assemble satellites, starting from the design stage and ending with the stage of conducting all necessary tests. And the successful launch of the Sunkar rocket once again proved that our progressive youth has great potential to move Kazakhstan's technological progress forward. And today I would like to wish all young people to achieve the desired heights, and remember that it is not necessary to be an astronaut for this, because all professions are important on earth".
The exhibition consists of two main sections:
- "Cosmonaut Heroes: Toktar Aubakirov and Talgat Musabayev";
- "Kazakhstan's Space Industry: New Frontiers."
The first section presents unique artefacts related to the spaceflights of T. Aubakirov and T. Musabayev, such as a glove from T. Aubakirov’s spacesuit, the State Flag of the Republic of Kazakhstan, a capsule containing soil from Baikonur, items T. Musabayev took into space, and cosmonaut food rations.
The second section focuses on the development of space activities in independent Kazakhstan, including Aidyn Aimbetov’s spaceflight, as well as the industry’s recent achievements and future prospects. Visitors can view models of artificial Earth satellites and additional exhibits.
The exhibition will be open until November 1, 2026. Admission is free for both residents and visitors to the capital.
