Introduction
On 22 March 1981, under the international “Interkosmos” program, the Soyuz‑39 spacecraft, crewed by cosmonaut V. Dzhanibekov and Mongolia’s first cosmonaut J.Gurragchaa, launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. The following day, the spacecraft successfully docked with the Salyut‑6 orbital station, forming the Soyuz‑39 / Salyut‑6 / Soyuz T‑4 orbital complex.
During their mission, the crew conducted more than 30 scientific experiments in space physics, technology, Earth observation, and biomedical sciences. The mission concluded successfully on 30 March 1981. This historic spaceflight elevated Mongolia onto the global stage as the world’s 10th nation to send a human into space, the 20th to develop scientific instruments for orbital research, and one of the first five nations to perform extravehicular scientific measurements.
The Interkosmos cooperation nurtured Mongolia’s first generation of space scientists and engineers capable of conducting orbital experiments and contributing to international space research. In the decades since, Mongolia has made significant advancements in remote sensing, geospatial analytics, atmospheric monitoring, satellite data applications, and national mapping.
The cosmonaut J.Gurragchaa, Hero of Mongolia, initiated the creation of Astropark, which was opened in 2014. The Astropark features a hall of cosmology, a planetarium, and a museum of planetary science. The Astropark was landmark achievement in public education and it has welcomed more than 146,000 visitors since its opening. In 2021, it was expanded into the Space Research Center of the Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics, followed by a complete technological upgrade in 2024. Future plans include establishing a state‑of‑the‑art aerospace laboratory for satellite systems, UAV development, testing, and training, and preparing Mongolia’s next astronaut program.
To celebrate these achievements and strengthen international collaboration, the Mongolian Academy of Sciences (MAS), APSCO and the Intersputnik International Organization of Space Communications jointly propose the organization of the 2026 Space Cooperation Scientific Conference. Several international astronauts have expressed interest in attending this important event.
