Kazakhstan has successfully completed its first space research experiment involving an all-female crew. Conducted over ten days in a specialized ground-based module simulating a spacecraft, the SANA-1 project marks a milestone in the country’s space program and underscores the expanding role of women in science and technology.

Kazakhstan’s First Female Crew

In Astana, the results of the SANA-1 scientific experiment, which focused on studying psychophysiological responses to isolation, were officially presented. It is the first time in Kazakhstan’s space research history that a mission was carried out exclusively by female engineers and scientists.

According to the project’s scientific director, Alina Gutoreva, the aim was to study “the cognitive, physiological, and emotional adaptation of humans in a confined space.”

“The crew underwent medical, physiological, and psychological assessments, conducted cognitive and behavioral studies, and tested the capsule’s engineering systems,” Gutoreva explained.

The experiment was timed to coincide with World Space Week (October 4-10), the 2025 theme of which was “Living in Space.”

What the Researchers Studied

The SANA-1 team examined the psychological and physiological effects of isolation, monotony, and stress on human behavior and team dynamics. The data collected is expected to inform the development of stress-resilience training and psychophysiological monitoring systems for future cosmonauts.

The results will feed into Kazakhstan’s national cosmonaut training program and will be presented at global platforms, including Space Days Kazakhstan and meetings of the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS).

Researchers emphasized that female leadership, emotional intelligence, and empathy were critical factors in the crew’s resilience and performance. These findings are expected to contribute to future criteria for selecting and training participants in long-duration space missions, including to the Moon and Mars.

The closing ceremony of the experiment took place on October 10, exactly 34 years after Tokhtar Aubakirov, Kazakhstan’s first cosmonaut, completed his spaceflight. Speaking at the event, Air Force Major General Aubakirov stressed the psychological demands of space missions.

“The most important thing in space is belief in your own strength and responsibility to the team. Without this, it is impossible to complete any mission,” Aubakirov said.

Earlier this month, Danna Karagousova became the first Kazakh woman to travel to space, participating in a suborbital flight aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard spacecraft. The rocket launched from a site in Texas, reaching an altitude of approximately 100 kilometers, the Kármán line, widely recognized as the boundary of space. The flight lasted around 10-12 minutes.