Once inducted into Space one will always work for creation - national hero Talgat Musabayev
From April, 2007 he heads the National Space Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan created by the Kazakh President and considers Russia to be main strategic partner of our country in the field of space activity.
Fate brought Talgat with many great people, who blessed him on the path to a dream to become a cosmonaut. It was Dinmukhammed Kunayev, who received the young pilot in May, 1986 and, hearing his suit on inclusion to the Soviet cosmonaut corps, approved this idea. But this dream did not come true, because of December, 1986.
"Nursultan Nazarbayev occupies a special place in my life, career of cosmonaut. Owing to his support, situation understanding and his striving for making Kazakhstan a space power my three space flights as onboard engineer and commander of international crews. A will always be grateful to the President for attention to my space fate", T.Mussabayev says.
What do you think was your most significant professional achievement?
As a cosmonaut I consider my professional achievement to be the long-term and extreme work at the Mir space station. Contingency situations appeared on orbit during my three flights - in 1994, 1998 and 2001. Technical failures at the station, communication problems with the Earth, complete loss of electric power on the board, emergencies at work in open space and landing. We worked a lot for breathing life to the Mir station. Indeed, we with Yury Malenchenko in the first flight and Nicolay Budarin in the second flight saved the Mir space station. Together with Y.Malenchenko we were awarded with title hero of the Russian federation, Russian President Boris Yeltsin handed over the Gold Star of Hero of Russia for these achievements in the space. In January, 1995 Kazakh President N.Nazarbayev presented the state awards of Kazakhstan to a big group of heads of the space industry of Russia. And we with Y.Malenchenko were awarded with title Halyk Kaharmany (Hero of People) of Kazakhstan. In the third flight I had luck to become a commander of an international crew, which had the world's first space tourist - American millionaire Dennis Tito. I had luck to present our President Kazakhstan's flag, capsule with the Kazakh land, the Qur'an book, which were in the space, after coming from the orbit threefold. I think, I can name my main professional achievement - I reached my dream to become a cosmonaut, became specialist and found the use of knowledge.
What goal do you set for the nearest year, five years, ten years?
Creation of the space sector of the country is a strategically important task for the state, which is faced by the National Space Agency created by the Kazakh President's Decree as of March 27, 2007. During this time the big work on improvement of the space activities of the country was conducted. Draft Space Industry Development Strategy of Kazakhstan became the main result of the Agency's activity. It took into account the issues of implementation target-oriented space systems and technologies, Baikonur Spaceport development, creation of regulatory framework, international cooperation, specialists training, increase of environmental security, public administration for the space industry development and others. I am sure that the future is in the space. And we have all opportunities to join the space powers of the world. The country's leadership understands and supports it, we have unique Baikonur Spaceport, the National Space Agency is created, space projects are financed, and the Space Industry Development Strategy is defined. Within the framework of the state visit of French President Nicolas Sarkozy to Kazakhstan in October, 2009 there were signed 24 agreements, 6 out of them were signed in the presence of the Kazakh and French presidents, and 4 out of them are the documents in the field of the space activity.
In spite of great difficulties, which have always been on this way, I believe that we can execute the tasks set. I had the fortunate opportunity to continue the work started in the space on the Earth. And I will try to use this chance as service to my state, country, which become the first launching pad of Mankind in Space in the world.
Tell us your favorite aphorism or phrase that you often repeat?
Order and discipline are my life principle. If you entrusted to lead people, it is impossible to achieve necessary result without order, discipline and demands the same from others. Small speck of dust or foreign object in the weightlessness on the space orbit can lead to tragic consequences.
What is the definition of socially active personality?
On my opinion, socially active personality is a person, who cares about the fate of people. It is a man, who can think at a large scale and act specifically. And it does not matter what position he or she holds.