Kazakhstan mourns the passing of national hero and astronaut Talgat Musabayev

A farewell ceremony was held Aug. 6 in Almaty for Kazakh cosmonaut and national hero Talgat Musabayev, who died Aug. 4 at age 74.

State officials, colleagues, family and friends gathered at the House of Officers to pay their final respects. A guard of honor stood at the entrance during the ceremony.

On behalf of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, State Counselor Yerlan Karin delivered condolences to Musabayev’s family and friends. In his remarks, he highlighted Musabayev’s contributions to Kazakhstan’s space program and scientific development.

«Talgat Amangeldievich is one of the brightest personalities in the history of Kazakhstan. His name is forever inscribed in the annals of the national space industry,» Karin said.

Kazakhstan’s first cosmonaut, Toktar Aubakirov, also spoke at the ceremony, highlighting Musabayev’s legacy not only as a space explorer but as a mentor to the next generation of specialists.

Talgat Musabayev was born Jan. 7, 1951, in the village of Fabrichnoye (now Kargaly), Kazakhstan. He graduated from the Riga Civil Aviation Engineers Institute in 1974 and later earned a degree in engineering from the Higher Civil Aviation School in Aktobe in 1983. He also trained as a test pilot and cosmonaut.

In 1994, Musabayev served as a flight engineer aboard the Soyuz TM-19 spacecraft, spending 125 days in space and completing four spacewalks totaling approximately 25 hours. In 1998, as mission commander, Musabayev spent 207 days in space and conducted three spacewalks totaling 16 hours. In 2001, again serving as commander, he took part in an eight-day mission that included accompanying the world’s first space tourist, Dennis Tito.

From 2007 to 2016, Musabayev served as head of Kazakhstan’s National Space Agency (KazCosmos), where he oversaw the development of the country’s space industry. He later served as a senator from 2017 to 2023.