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. On 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 the mission, the combined 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 flight elevated Mongolia to 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 conduct extravehicular scientific measurements.
The Interkosmos cooperation fostered Mongolia’s first generation of space scientists and engineers. Since then, Mongolia has made notable progress in remote sensing, geospatial analytics, atmospheric monitoring, satellite data applications, and national mapping.
A landmark achievement in public education was the establishment of Astropark in 2014, initiated by Hero of Mongolia and cosmonaut J. Gurragchaa. In 2021, it was expanded into the Space Research Center of the Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics, followed by a comprehensive technological upgrade in 2024.
Future plans include the development of an advanced aerospace laboratory for satellite systems, UAV development, testing, and training, as well as preparations for Mongolia’s next astronaut program.
To commemorate these achievements and strengthen international cooperation, the Mongolian Academy of Sciences, APSCO, and Intersputnik jointly organize the 2026 Space Cooperation Scientific Conference.
