#HappyBirthday to ASE Life Member Sam Gemar, who flew to space three times between 1990 and 1994 (STS-38, STS-48, and STS-62)!
Association of Space Explorers
@aseastronauts.bsky.social
Earth's first emissaries to the cosmos. Pioneering the path to space. Delivering the astronaut perspective.
#ASEspotlight: Hans Schlegel 💫 In February 2008, ASE member Schlegel posed for a picture with the International Space Station and the Earth as his backdrop aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis. Fun fact: He enjoys do-it-yourself work! Happy 75th birthday, Hans! 🎉
#HappyBirthday to ASE Life Member Joan Higginbotham, who flew to space in 2006 aboard STS-116 as part of a trip to the International Space Station!
Today, we remember ASE member Georgi Shonin (left) on his #birthday. Shonin flew to space in 1969 aboard Soyuz 6. ✨
#OTD 35 years ago ✨ STS-43 launched on August 2, 1991, with ASE members G. David Low, Shannon Lucid, James Adamson, John Blaha, and Michael Baker aboard. Fun fact: The first email sent from space came from this flight!
#HappyBirthday to ASE Founding Member Bertalan Farkas, who flew to space in 1980 aboard Soyuz 36 as part of a trip to the Salyut 6 space station!
Today, we remember ASE member Valeri Bykovsky on his #birthday. Bykovsky flew to space three times between 1963 and 1978 (Vostok 5, Soyuz 22, and Soyuz 31), including as part of a trip to the Salyut 6 space station. ✨
#HappyBirthday to ASE member Yuri Romanenko (pictured left), who flew to space three times between 1977 and 1987 (Soyuz 26, Soyuz 38, and Soyuz TM-2) as part of trips and expeditions to the Salyut 6 and Mir space stations (Salyut 6 EO-1 and Mir EO-2)!
#ASEspotlight: Richard Covey 💫 In July 1988, ASE Life Member Covey floated in a one-person life raft during emergency egress training at the Weightless Environment Training Facility at NASA's Johnson Space Center. Fun fact: He enjoys volleyball! Happy 80th birthday, Dick! 🎉
#HappyBirthday to ASE member Koichi Wakata, who has flown to space five times between 1996 and 2023 (STS-72, STS-92, STS-119, Soyuz TMA-11M, & SpaceX Crew-5), including as part of trips and expeditions aboard the International Space Station (Expedition 18/19/20, Expedition 38/39, and Expedition 68)!
#HappyBirthday to ASE member Alexander Balandin, who flew to space in 1990 aboard Soyuz TM-9 as part of an expedition to the Mir space station (Mir EO-6)! Pic: LiMaKKoT, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en
#HappyBirthday to ASE member Vladimir Dezhurov, who flew to space twice between 1995 and 2001 (Soyuz TM-21 and STS-105) as part of expeditions to Mir and the International Space Station (Mir EO-18 and Expedition 3)!
#ASEspotlight: Scott Parazynski 💫 ASE Life Member Parazynski posed at the hatch of the crew compartment trainer at NASA's Johnson Space Center in June 1994 as he prepared for his first flight, STS-66. Fun fact: He enjoys woodworking! Happy 65th birthday, Longbow! 🎉
#HappyBirthday to ASE member Robert Behnken, who flew to space three times between 2008 and 2020 (STS-123, STS-130, and SpaceX Demo-2) as part of trips and expeditions to the International Space Station (Expedition 63)!
#ASEspotlight: Tokhtar Aubakirov 💫 ASE member Aubakirov made history in October 1991 as he became the first person from Kazakhstan to go to space when he visited the Mir space station. Happy 80th birthday, Tokhtar! 🎉
#ASEspotlight: Daniel Burbank 💫 In December 2011, ASE member Burbank played the guitar aboard the International Space Station during his time as Expedition 30 commander. Fun fact: He enjoys sailing! Happy 65th birthday, Dan! 🎉
#HappyBirthday to ASE member Sheikh Muszaphar, who flew to space in 2007 aboard Soyuz TMA-11 as part of a trip to the International Space Station!
#ASEspotlight: William McArthur 💫 ASE Life Member McArthur ran the Houston Half Marathon in January 2006 while living aboard the International Space Station as commander of Expedition 12. Fun fact: He enjoys biking! Happy 75th birthday, BillyMac! 🎉
#OTD 55 years ago ✨ Apollo 15 launched on July 26, 1971, with ASE members James Irwin and Alfred Worden aboard. Fun fact: This was the first Apollo “J” mission capable of a longer stay time on the Moon! Read more about the mission from NASA: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/apollo/apollo-15
Welcome home, #SoyuzMS28 (Chris Williams, Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, and Sergey Mikaev)! 🌏
SSpacePolicyOnline@spacepolicyonline.bsky.social · last wk.
Soyuz MS-28 lands on the steppe of Kazakhstan, 6:27 am ET, July 26, 2026.
#HappyBirthday to ASE member Daniel Bursch, who flew to space four times between 1993 and 2002 (STS-51, STS-68, STS-77, and STS-108), including as part of an expedition aboard the International Space Station (Expedition 4)!
#HappyBirthday to ASE member Toyohiro Akiyama, who flew to space in 1990 aboard Soyuz TM-11 as part of a trip to the Mir space station!
#OTD 65 years ago ✨ Liberty Bell 7 launched on July 21, 1961! To learn more about the second crewed American spaceflight, check out the mission page from NASA: https://www.nasa.gov/mission/mercury-redstone-4-liberty-bell-7/
#OTD 5 years ago ✨ Blue Origin NS-16 launched on July 20, 2021! Fun fact: This was the first spaceflight to launch from Texas!
Today, we remember ASE Founding Member Vladimir Lyakhov (left) on his #birthday. Lyakhov flew to space three times between 1979 and 1988 (Soyuz 32, Soyuz T-9, and Soyuz TM-6) as part of trips and expeditions to Salyut 6, Salyut 7, and Mir. ✨
#OTD 60 years ago ✨ Gemini 10 launched on July 18, 1966, with ASE member Michael Collins aboard. Fun fact: This was the program's first double rendezvous in space! To learn more, check out the mission page from NASA: https://www.nasa.gov/mission/gemini-x/
#HappyBirthday to ASE member Janet L. Kavandi, who flew to space three times between 1998 and 2001 (STS-91, STS-99, and STS-104), including as part of trips to Mir and the International Space Station!
