Salizhan Sharipov
A Kyrgyz spacefarer who journeyed to both the Mir and International Space Stations, conducting pioneering ultrasound research in weightlessness.
Born 1964 (age 62)·Kyrgyz cosmonaut·Birthday: August 24·Baby Boomers
Biography
Salizhan Sharipov's path to the stars began in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan, then part of the Soviet Union. Selected as a cosmonaut in 1990, his career spanned the transition from the Mir space station to the new era of the International Space Station (ISS). His first mission in 1998 was a lengthy stay aboard Mir, where he honed the skills of long-duration spaceflight. Sharipov's second flight, in 2004, was as commander of a Soyuz mission to the ISS, where he lived and worked for six months. A trained engineer and researcher, he was a key investigator for the Advanced Diagnostic Ultrasound in Microgravity project, testing how medical imaging could be used for remote diagnosis during exploration. His voyages made him a national hero in Kyrgyzstan and a symbol of post-Soviet scientific cooperation.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Salizhan was born in 1964, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Salizhan Was Born
The biggest hits of 1964
#1 Movie
Mary Poppins
Best Picture
My Fair Lady
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Salizhan's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1964Born
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1969Started school
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1977Became a teenager
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1980Could drive
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1982Could vote
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1985Turned 21
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1994Turned 30
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2004Turned 40
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2014Turned 50
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2024Turned 60
AI reshapes industries; Paris Olympics
Gas: $3.31/galHome: $372,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Espresso" — Sabrina CarpenterBest Picture: Anora
2026Age 62 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Completed two spaceflights, logging over 201 days in space aboard the Mir and International Space Stations.
- Served as the commander of the Soyuz TMA-5 mission to the ISS for Expedition 10 in 2004-2005.
- Conducted two spacewalks (EVAs) during his career, totaling over 10 hours of extravehicular activity.
- Co-authored and served as a crew investigator for the Advanced Diagnostic Ultrasound in Microgravity (ADUM) research project.
Did You Know?
Before becoming a cosmonaut, he served as a pilot and senior pilot in the Soviet Air Force.
Sharipov is of Uzbek ethnicity, reflecting the diverse cultural background of his home region.
He retired from the Russian cosmonaut corps in 2008.
During his ISS expedition, he participated in a ham radio contact with schoolchildren on Earth.
“The Earth is blue, and there is nothing more beautiful.”
