First Kazakh Woman in Space Returns to Earth on Blue Origin Flight

On October 8, 2025, Kazakh citizen Danna Karagussova successfully completed a suborbital flight aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard spacecraft, becoming the first woman from Kazakhstan and the wider CIS, to travel into space. The mission marked the 15th crewed flight and the 16th successful launch and landing of the NS4 rocket operated by the company owned by billionaire Jeff Bezos. Karagussova’s return was announced by her son, Aituar Alibekov, on the social media platform Threads: “She’s back. The first space tourist from Kazakhstan and the CIS. Love you and so proud of you, Mom.” According to SciNews, the New Shepard launched from Blue Origin’s West Texas facility and returned to Earth approximately 10 to 12 minutes later, landing at 13:30 UTC (08:30 Texas time). Karagussova was joined by five other passengers: entrepreneur Jeff Elgin, engineer Clint Kelly III, startup founder Aaron Newman, Ukrainian businessman Vitalii Ostrovsky, and one individual who remained anonymous. The spacecraft reached an altitude of around 100 kilometers, crossing the Kármán line, the internationally recognized boundary of space, where passengers experienced several minutes of weightlessness and panoramic views of Earth. Ticket prices for Blue Origin’s commercial flights have not been publicly disclosed. Before the launch, Karagussova shared a photo from aboard the spacecraft, generating significant attention on social media. Kazakh blogger and entrepreneur Beibit Alibekov, her former husband, praised her accomplishment, emphasizing its historic significance. Earlier this year, The Times of Central Asia reported on Karagussova’s upcoming flight as part of Blue Origin’s NS-36 mission, part of a series of suborbital flights the company has conducted since 2021. Karagussova is a prominent Kazakh entrepreneur with more than 25 years of experience in media, event management, and distribution. She is also the co-founder of the Portals project, which combines science, art, and digital self-regulation technologies. Beyond her professional life, she is an avid mountaineer, having climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Elbrus, endeavors she sees as symbolic of her persistence and ambition. “The future of humanity lies in space. By exploring new horizons, we not only advance technology but also expand our own potential. For me, the NS-36 mission with Blue Origin is part of a research project and a step toward a dream I have pursued for many years,” she wrote on Instagram. Karagussova’s flight represents a milestone for Kazakhstan and the post-Soviet region. Globally, only a limited number of non-professional astronauts have traveled beyond Earth’s atmosphere, making her achievement a noteworthy addition to the growing history of commercial spaceflight.

Blast off to Baikonur: A Space Tourist’s Odyssey

Space tourism is a growing industry, with visitors to Baikonur attending launches, especially missions to the International Space Station. The town is a leased Russian enclave ensconced within Kazakhstan, including the cosmodrome which is controlled by Roscosmos, the Russian space agency. After NASA ended its Space Shuttle program in 2011, Baikonur became the only launch site to the International Space Station (ISS) until 2020. Now, 60 years after space travel began, it still remains an important gateway to the stars. As described by Megan Eaves, “Baikonur is in many ways a perfect relic of the Soviet 1960s. Stoic mosaics depicting muscular comrades heralding a new era of space still decorate entrance gates and the walls of the town's functional, Brutalist apartment blocks, which once housed construction workers, aerospace engineers and space families. Inside the cosmodrome, crumbling hangars stand side-by-side next to the original, minimalist cottages where Yuri Gagarin and the early cosmonauts slept.” [caption id="attachment_21654" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Statue of Yuri Gagarin in the town of Baikonur, Kazakhstan; image: Ric Gazarian[/caption]   Near a hotel where visitors stay is Cosmonaut’s Alley, a path in a wooded area surrounded by trees planted by all those who launched into space from Baikonur. The first tree that greets visitors is Yuri Gagarin’s from 1961. Continuing our coverage of Baikonur, TCA spoke to renowned travel blogger, Ric Gazarian, who in 2018 witnessed the MS-08 launch which sent three men on the 55th expedition to the ISS. TCA: Your blogs about your experience at Baikonur contain a lot of history on the Russian space program; where and when did you find out about Baikonur and the space program? Was there anything in particular that piqued your interest? Gazarian: There wasn’t a specific moment, but I’ve been intrigued by space travel since I was a kid. NASA is exceedingly cool and fascinating, and so is Roscosmos, but with the addition of the exoticness from a Western perspective. The history and rivalry between the U.S. and the Soviet Union’s space program is so rich. So, when I found out about the opportunity to visit Baikonur and witness a space launch, it was immediately added to my bucketlist. It was this unique opportunity to witness firsthand Soviet/Russian space traditions. The added bonus is so few people make the effort to visit. [caption id="attachment_21619" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] Museum in the Chelomey International Space School, Baikonur, Kazakhstan; image: Ric Gazarian[/caption]   TCA: You stated that “This was not your typical tourist trip to Paris…This was a group of space geeks and Soviet fan boys.” Which one are you? Gazarian: A little bit of both. One experience we had was watching the cosmonauts leave their quarantine hotel and board the bus to take them for their final preparations before the launch. A crowd of a couple of hundred people had circled their bus; it was a rock star moment. To know these guys were soon to be launched into space touches you emotionally. And yes, this is a dream come true for Soviet...