Background
Toktar Aubakirov was born in Karkaraly district, Karaganda region, Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic, which is now Kazakhstan.
Astronaut aviator politician test pilot
Toktar Aubakirov was born in Karkaraly district, Karaganda region, Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic, 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 Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics until his acceptance into the M. Gromov Test Pilot"s School in 1975.
Between 1976 and 1991 he served as a test pilot at the Mikoyan Experimental Design Bureau (MiG aircraft).
During this time he tested over 50 types of aircraft. The first in the Soviet Union to make a nonstop flight crossing the North Pole and with two in-flight refueling, the first in the Soviet Union who took off of the aircraft-carrier "Tbilisi" on a MiG 29K. In 1991, in accordance with an agreement between the governments of the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics and the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic, started training at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centern.
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. Since 1993, he has been the general director of the National Aerospace Agency of Republic of Kazakhstan.
Now he is a pensioner and consultant.
Family Toktar Aubakirov is married to Tatyana Aubakirova. They have two children: Timur (born in 1977) and Mikhail (born in 1982).
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 Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics (1990) Pilot-Cosmonaut of the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics (1991) Pilot-Cosmonaut of Kazakhstan #1 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 "Foreign Merit in Space Exploration" (12 April 2011) – for outstanding contribution to the development of international cooperation in manned space flight.
He was a member of the Kazakhstan parliament.
