Aidyn Akanuly Aimbetov ( kk, Айдын Ақанұлы Айымбетов, ''Aidyn Aqanūly Aiymbetov''; russian: Айдын Аканович Аимбетов,ИНТЕЛЛЕКТУАЛЬНАЯ НАЦИЯ: «В моих ближайших планах – создание мобильного планетария для детей Астаны» – космонавт Айдын Аимбетов
kazinform.kz (9 April 2014) born 27 July 1972) is a Kazakh

cosmonaut An astronaut (from the Ancient Greek (), meaning 'star', and (), meaning 'sailor') is a person trained, equipped, and deployed by a human spaceflight program to serve as a commander or crew member aboard a spacecraft. Although generally r ...

Family

Aimbetov is married and has three children, two daughters and a son.

Military career

Aimbetov graduated from Kutakhov Armavir Higher Military Aviation School and became a military pilot, having enrolled after secondary school. He served at Lugovaya and

Taldykorgan Taldykorgan ( kk, Талдықорған/Taldyqorğan; russian: Талдыкорган), known as ''Taldy-Kurgan'' until 1993, is the capital (called an administrative center) of Zhetysu Region, Kazakhstan. According to the 2010 Kazakh Census Res ...

, flying

MiG-27 The Mikoyan MiG-27 (russian: Микоян МиГ-27; NATO reporting name: Flogger-D/J) is a variable-sweep ground-attack aircraft, originally built by the Mikoyan-Gurevich design bureau in the Soviet Union and later licence-produced in India ...

and

Su-27 The Sukhoi Su-27 (russian: Сухой Су-27; NATO reporting name: Flanker) is a Soviet-origin twin-engine supermaneuverable fighter aircraft designed by Sukhoi. It was intended as a direct competitor for the large US fourth-generation jet ...

fighters.

Cosmonaut career

Aimbetov was selected to the first Kazakh cosmonaut class in 2002, along with

Mukhtar Aimakhanov Mukhtar Rabatuly Aymakhanov ( kk, Мұхтар Рабатұлы Аймаханов, ''Mūhtar Rabatūly Aimahanov''; born January 1, 1967, in Zhosaly, Kazakhstan) is a Russian cosmonaut; he was originally a Kazakhstani cosmonaut. Kazakh cosmonaut ...

, out of a pool of 2,000 candidates. From 2003 to 2009, he trained in Russia as a cosmonaut at Star City. He returned to

Astana Astana, previously known as Akmolinsk, Tselinograd, Akmola, and most recently Nur-Sultan, is the capital city of Kazakhstan. The city lies on the banks of the Ishim (river), Ishim River in the north-central part of Kazakhstan, within the Akmo ...

, in Kazakhstan, after failing to secure a spaceflight. He had been scheduled to fly in autumn 2009, but due to the world financial crisis, this fell through. Aimakhanov remained in Russia, becoming a Russian citizen, making Aimbetov the sole Kazakhstani cosmonaut. After returning, Aimbetov stayed in the JSC (national center of space research and technologies) of the National Space Agency (NSA) of Kazakhstan.Took place telephone conversation of the Chairman Kazcosmos Talgat Musabayev and the cosmonaut Aydyn Aimbetov
kazcosmos.gov.kz (05.09.2015) He founded the Institute for Space Development to promote the space industry in Kazakhstan. He started the Young Cosmonauts School in the Astana Pupil's Palace in 2012. He was still flight ready in April 2015. Expedition 44 crew greeting with guests

In June 2015, he was selected to fly on the

Soyuz TMA-18M Soyuz TMA-18M was a 2015 Soyuz (spacecraft), Soyuz spaceflight to the International Space Station. It provided the two twelve-months occupants (Scott Kelly (astronaut), Scott Kelly and Mikhail Korniyenko) at the International Space Station with a ...

mission in place of singer

Sarah Brightman Sarah Brightman (born 14 August 1960) is an English classical crossover soprano singer, actress and dancer. Brightman began her career as a member of the dance troupe Hot Gossip and released several disco singles as a solo performer. In 1981, ...

who had withdrawn in May 2015, and her backup,

Satoshi Takamatsu is a Japanese advertising entrepreneur, primarily active in the area of unconventional advertising campaigns. Business career Takamatsu received a Bachelor of Science in solid-state physics from the University of Tsukuba in 1983, working for Jap ...

, who had also withdrawn. The mission was projected to launch to the

International Space Station The International Space Station (ISS) is the largest modular space station currently in low Earth orbit. It is a multinational collaborative project involving five participating space agencies: NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), JAXA ...

on 1 September 2015. Aimbetov becomes the third Kazakh-born cosmonaut to fly since Kazakhstan's independence in 1991, and the first to fly under the Kazakh flag, and as part of

KazCosmos The National Space Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan ( kk, Қазақстан Республикасы Ұлттық ғарыш агенттiгi, Qazaqstan Respublikasy Ūlttyq ğaryş agenttıgı), also known as KazCosmos, or KazKosmos, is Ka ...

. Aimbetov had originally been projected to fly on a 2017 launch. Serving as Aimbetov's backup on the mission was Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Prokopyev. On 2 September 2015, Aimbetov launched from Baikonour, Kazakhstan, aboard

, along with rookie astronaut

Andreas Mogensen Andreas Enevold Mogensen (born 2 November 1976) is a Danish engineer and ESA astronaut who is best known for being the first Dane to fly in space as part of the European Space Agency's iriss program. Mogensen has also been involved in a number of ...

and capsule commander cosmonaut Sergey Volkov. On 11 September 2015, Aimbetov returned from his 10-day mission to the International Space Station, and touched down on the Kazakhstan Steppe, aboard

Soyuz TMA-16M Soyuz TMA-16M was a 2015 flight to the International Space Station.Gennady Padalka Gennady Ivanovich Padalka (russian: Гeннадий Иванович Падалка; born 21 June 1958 in Krasnodar, Soviet Union) is a Russian Air Force officer and a Roscosmos cosmonaut. Padalka currently holds the world record for List of spac ...

who was returning from a stint on the station, having become the recordholder for most time in space.

References

External links

Spacefacts biography of Aydyn Aimbetov
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aimbetov, Aydyn 1972 births Living people Kazakhstani cosmonauts People from Almaty Region