Soyuz TMA-16M launched 2015

Soyuz TMA-16M (L-R): Scott Kelly, Gennady Padalka, Mikhail Korniyenko

Mission patch

Soyuz TMA-16M, launched March 27, 2015, transported members of Expedition 43 to the International Space Station.  Its crew consisted of Commander Gennady Padalka, Mikhail Korniyenko (both of Roscosmos), and Scott Kelly (NASA).

Korniyenko and Kelly remained aboard the ISS for a year until March 2016, while Padalka retunred to Earth in September 2015, with Andreas Mogensen (ESA) and Aidyn Aimbetov (KazCosmos).

Soyuz TMA-18M launched 2015

Soyuz TMA-18M launch crew (L-R): Andreas Morgensen, Sergey Volkov, Aidyn Aimbetov

Mission patch

Soyuz TMA-18M, launched September 2, 2015 to the International Space Station, carried the first Danish astronaut Andreas Morgensen (ESA) and the first Kazakh cosmonaut Aidyn Aimbetov into space.  Its commander was cosmonaut Sergey Volkov (Roscosmos), who stayed aboard the ISS until March 2016 as part of Expedition 45.  Morgensen and Aimbetov returned about 10 days later on Soyuz TMA-16M.

He returned with Scott Kelly (NASA) and Mikhail Korniyenko (Roscosmos), members of Expedition 46.

Happy birthday, Kazakhstani cosmonauts Toktar Aubakirov and Aidyn Aimbetov!

Toktar Aubakirov, born July 27, 1946 in  Kazakhstan, is a cosmonaut and former Air Force pilot.  He went into space aboard Soyuz TM-13 in October 1991 to Mir.  He returned to Earth about a week later aboard Soyuz TM-12.

Since Kazakhstan wasn't entirely independent of Russia at the time of his flight, he is officially Kazakhstan's first cosmonaut.  The official first Kazakhstani cosmonaut is Aidyn Aimbetov, born July 27, 1972 in Kazakhstan.  He went aboard Soyuz TMA-18M to the International Space Station in September 2015.  He remained aboard for almost 10 days and returned to Earth aboard Soyuz TMA-16M.