Happy birthday, cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov!

Valeri Polyakov, born April 27, 1942 in the former Soviet Union, holds the record for the longest single stay in space for a human.  He stayed aboard Mir for 427 days, 18 hours.  His total time in space is 678 days, 16 hours.

His first mission was aboard Soyuz TM-6 to Mir in August 1988.  He participated in expeditions Mir EO-3 and Mir EO-4, returning to Earth on Soyuz TM-7 in April 1989.

His second and final flight was his record setting stay.  He went into space aboard Soyuz TM-18 in January 1994.  He participated in expeditions Mir EO-15, Mir EO-16 and Mir EO-17.  He returned to Earth on Soyuz TM-20 in March 1995, after more than 14 months.

Happy birthday, cosmonaut Vladimir Titov!

Vladimir Georgiyevich Titov, born January 1, 1947 in the former Soviet Union, is a veteran of four space flights.

His first trip into space was aboard Soyuz T-8 as commander to Salyut 7 in April 1983 but the spacecraft failed to dock and they had to return to Earth two days later.

His second mission was aboard Soyuz T-10-1, which was also a planned trip to Salyut 7 in September 1983, but the spacecraft exploded on the launch pad, and he and fellow cosmonaut Gennady Strekalov had to use the escape system.

His next attempt was successful.  He blasted off in Soyuz TM-4 as commander in December 1987 to the Mir space station, as part of Mir EO-3 expedition.  He remained aboard for a year and returned to Earth on Soyuz TM-6 in December 1988.

His third mission was aboard Discovery (STS-63) as mission specialist in February 1995 to Mir.

His fourth and final mission was aboard Atlantis (STS-86) to Mir September-October 1997 as mission specialist.  He performed an EVA with fellow astronaut Scott Parazynski for about 5 hours.

Soyuz TM-7 launched 1988

Soyuz TM-7 crew (L-R):  Jean-Loup Chretien, Alexander Volkov, Sergei Krikalev

Mission patch

Soyuz TM-7, launched November 26, 1988, was the seventh manned mission to the Mir space station.  Its crew consisted of Commander Alexander Volkov, Sergei Krikalev and Jean-Loup Chretien (CNES).  Then French president Francois Mitterand viewed the launch with Pink Floyd's David Gilmour and Nick Mason. 

Chretien became the first non-American/non-Soviet person to conduct an EVA when he went outside Mir with Volkov for 6 hours to install a French experimental structure.

Chretien returned to Earth a month later on Soyuz TM-6, but Volkov and Krikalyov remained on board as part of Mir EO-4 expedition and returned in April 1989 with Valeri Polyakov. 

Happy birthday, French cosmonaut Jean Loup Chretien!

Jean-Loup Chretien, born August 20, 1938, is a French cosmonaut who has flown two Soyuz missions and one Space Shuttle flight.

His first mission was aboard Soyuz T-6 in June 1982 to Salyut 7.  It was the first time a Frenchman had flown in space.  He spent about a week in space before returning to Earth in early June.

His second mission was aboard Soyuz TM-7 in November 1988 to Mir.  He conducted an EVA with fellow cosmonaut Alexander Volkov, which lasted almost 6 hours.  He is the first non-American, non-Russian to walk in space.  He returned 24 days later aboard Soyuz TM-6.

His third and final mission was aboard Atlantis (STS-86) as mission specialist to Mir in September-October 1997.

Vladimir Lyakhov, cosmonaut, born 1941

Vladimir Lyakhov, born July 20, 1941 in the former Soviet Union, spent almost a year in space on three different missions.

His first  mission was as commander on Soyuz 32 to Salyut 6, launched February 25, 1979.  He returned to Earth June 13.

His second mission was as commander on Soyuz T-9 to Salyut 7, launched June 27, 1983.  He returned  to Earth November 23.

His third and final mission was commander of Soyuz TM-6 to the space station Mir, launched August 29,  1988.  He commanded Mir EP-3, a week long (short term) mission after which he returned to Earth on Soyuz TM-5. 

He passed away April 19, 2018.

Happy birthday, Musa Manarov, first Azerbaijani cosmonaut!

Musa Manarov, born March 22, 1951 in Baku, Azerbaijan, is the first citizen from his country to go into space. 

His first mission to space was as flight engineer aboard Soyuz TM-4 to Mir in December 1987.  He was part of the Mir EO-3 expedition, which lasted until the following December, spending 366 days in space.  He returned to Earth on Soyuz TM-6.

His second mission was aboard Soyuz TM-11 in December 1990 to Mir.  He was part of the Mir EO-8 expedition and returned to Earth May 1991.

Happy birthday, Afghan astronaut Abdul Ahad Mohmand!

Abdul Ahad Mohmand, born January 1, 1959 in Afghanistan, is the first Afghan astronaut and the fourth Muslim in space.  It is believed he is the first Muslim to take the Qur'an to space.

He served in the Afghan Air Force and then trained in the Soviet Union as a pilot and astronaut.  He went to space aboard Soyuz TM-6, which was launched August 29, 1988 to Mir as part of expedition EP-3.  He remained on Mir for 9 days, during which he took pictures of Afghanistan, talked to Afghanistan's president and his mother, and brewed Afghan tea for the crew.

He returned to Earth on Soyuz TM-5 September 7.

First Afghan Cosmonaut in space aboard Soyuz TM-6 1988

Soyuz TM-6 crew (L-R): Abdul Ahad Mohmand, Vladimir Lyakhov, Valeri Polyakov

Mission patch

Soyuz TM-6, the sixth manned mission to the Space Station Mir, launched August 29, 1988 with two Russian cosmonauts Vladimir Lyakhov and Valeri Polyakov, and the first Afghan cosmonaut Abdul Ahad Mohmand.  It is rumored he is the first Muslim to take the Qu'ran into space.  He spent 9 days in before returning to the former Soviet Union and was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union on September 7, 1988.