Pilot and cosmonaut Talgat Mussabayev passes away
The Head of State sent a letter of condolences to the family members and close ones of the pilot and cosmonaut, Khalyk Khakharmany, and state and public figure Talgat Mussabayev, Kazinform News Agency learnt from the Akorda press service.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said Talgat Mussabayev, a hero who completed three space flights and glorified our country. He said Talgat Mussabayev devoted his entire career to the progress of the country’s cosmonautics. "As a Senate deputy, he initiated many good undertakings. He will always be remembered as a man who was respected for his professionalism and active civic position, the telegram reads.
Talgat Mussabayev was born in 1951 in Almaty region. He graduated from the Engineering Institute of Civil Aviation in Riga and the Higher Aviation School. He was honored with several awards as an aerobatic flyer and selected as a cosmonaut on May 11, 1990. His first spaceflight was as a crew member of the long-duration mission Mir EO-16 which was launched by Soyuz TM-19. Mussabayev had two more missions before retiring in 2003.
In 2007, Mussabayev was appointed as the Head of the National Space Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan (KazCosmos). In 2017 he joined the Kazakh Senate and became a member of the Committee for International Relations, Defense and Security of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Earlier Head of State Kassym-Jomart Tokayev sent a message of condolence over the passing of prominent poet, composer, people’s artist of Kazakhstan, awardee of the Order of Parasat Israil Saparbay.