Soyuz TM-13 launched 1991

Soyuz TM-13 crew (L-R): Toktar Aubakirov, Alexander Volkov, Franz Viehbock

Mission patch

Soyuz TM-13 launched October 2, 1991 with an Austrian astronaut and a Kazakh astronaut.  Its crew consisted of Commander Alexander Volkov, Toktar Aubakirov, and Franz Viehbock.  Viehbock was the first astronaut from Austria to venture into space.  Toktar Aubakirov was from Kazakhstan (although not an independent country at the time), and Russia hoped by carrying a Kazakh astronaut, his country would continue to allow them to launch from Baikonur Cosmodrome.

Viehbock and Aubakirov stayed aboard Mir for only about a week and returned to Earth on Soyuz TM-12.

Volkov remained on Mir for 175 days and returned on March 25, 1992 with Sergei Krikalev and Klaus-Dietrich Flade.  Volkov and Krikalev were considered the "last citizens of the USSR" since they had launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome in the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic (a part of the USSR) and landed in the independent Republic of Kazakhstan.

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.