Türkiye’s 1st manned space journey set to launch this week

Published January 16,2024

Subscribe

Türkiye this week is about to begin its first manned area mission as part of its National Space Program, and the primary Turkish area traveler to be despatched to the International Space Station (ISS) is Alper Gezeravcı, a Turkish Air Force pilot.

After President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan introduced the National Space Program in 2021, efforts have been launched to ship a Turkish citizen into area.

The astronaut functions have been printed by the Turkish Space Agency in May 2022, with the number of candidates based mostly on their work and experience in engineering, physics, drugs, astronomy, and sports activities.

Last April, Erdoğan introduced that Col. Gezeravcı can be the first-ever Turkish area traveler, unveiling his title at TEKNOFEST, Türkiye’s premier expertise occasion.

Gezeravcı is about to be launched from the U.S. state of Florida to the International Space Station this Thursday at 1.11 am native Turkish time (GMT2211 Wednesday).

The Ax-3 mission crew, made up of Spanish mission chief Michael Lopez-Alegria, Italian Air Force pilot Walter Villadei, and Marcus Wandt from Sweden on behalf of the European Space Agency, is predicted to dock on the International Space Station at 1.15 pm (GMT1015) on Friday.

Türkiye’s first manned area mission is being carried out in collaboration with the U.S.-based Axiom Space, together with astronaut coaching in Houston, Texas, and the flight service.

For two weeks, Gezeravcı will do 13 experiments on the area station, with topics starting from most cancers to immune cells and algae to propolis, research that may contribute to the scientific literature.

As vacationers on the Ax-3 mission may also deliver alongside objects symbolizing their personalities and international locations, Gezeravcı will deliver household pictures, cultural objects, and the Turkish flag.

The mission will embrace two manned flights, together with Gezeravcı’s flight to the ISS and a suborbital flight with Tuva Cihangir Atasever, a techniques engineer at Turkish missile producer Roketsan, anticipated to happen within the first half of the yr.