Toktar Aubakirov is 80: How Kazakhstan’s first cosmonaut have seen UFO

Today, July 27, Toktar Aubakirov, the first cosmonaut of independent Kazakhstan, celebrates his 80th birthday. He was born in 1946 in the settlement of the 1 May Collective Farm in the Karkaraly district of the Karaganda region. He began his career as a lathe operator at a foundry and mechanical plant while simultaneously practicing parachuting at a local flying club.

From test pilot to hero of the Soviet Union

After serving in the military and graduating from the Armavir Higher Military Aviation School, Aubakirov completed test pilot training and joined the Mikoyan Design Bureau.

Over the course of his career, he mastered over 50 types of aircraft and became the first pilot in the Soviet Union to complete a nonstop flight to the North Pole region, refueling twice in midair.

He also tested carrier-based aircraft in Crimea. Aubakirov was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union for his achievements as a test pilot before ever traveling to space.

Mission to Mir and the Last Cosmonaut of the USSR

On October 2, 1991, Aubakirov launched aboard a mission to the Mir space station. The flight made him not only the first cosmonaut of sovereign Kazakhstan, but also the 72nd and final cosmonaut of the Soviet Union.

His backup crew member was Talgat Musabayev, who would later become one of Kazakhstan’s most prominent cosmonauts. Before launch, Aubakirov received a commemorative emblem featuring a shanyrak - the symbolic central ring of a traditional Kazakh yurt- from representatives of Kazakhstan’s intellectual community.

The UFO Story

In one of his interviews, Aubakirov recalled an unusual incident that occurred early one morning.

According to him, at around 6 a.m., he noticed a bright star in the sky that suddenly began moving and approaching him.

Realizing that no one would believe his story, he woke up four other Kazakh companions, who also witnessed the object. It then suddenly came closer, performed a maneuver, and disappeared.

Aubakirov later admitted that the incident left him with many unanswered questions. He also noted that three of the eyewitnesses have since passed away.

Similar stories have been shared by other cosmonauts. Russian cosmonaut Pavel Popovich once claimed that extraterrestrials maintain an intermediate base within the rings of Saturn, while Gennady Padalka said that space crews even have procedures outlining what to do in the event of contact with an extraterrestrial civilization.

Public life today

In Karaganda, Aviation and Cosmonautics Museum was established at School No. 6 on the initiative of teacher Magriba Kairbekova, with a significant part of the exhibition dedicated to Aubakirov’s achievements.

According to his recent interviews, Aubakirov continues to meet with young people, describing them as the future of Kazakhstan.

“The life and career of Toktar  Aubakirov are a vivid example of selfless service to the Motherland, exceptional professionalism, courage, and responsibility. His name is forever inscribed in the history of Kazakhstan’s aviation, space exploration, and the development of the country’s Armed Forces,” the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Kazakhstan said in a statement.