Turkey on Thursday flew its first astronaut to the International Space Station (ISS) in a SpaceX capsule, marking a milestone in its nascent space program.
SpaceX launched its Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, carrying Turkish astronaut Alper Gezeravci and other crew members from Italy, Spain and Sweden as part of a mission operated by Axiom Space.
The two-week Ax-3 mission is the third of four planned human spaceflight launches by Axiom, and Gezeravci’s participation cost Turkey about US$55 million, Turkish Minister of Industry and Technology Fatih Kacir said.
Photo: AP
It is a key part of the national project designed to pave Turkey’s entry into a space race dominated by global powers. Turkey unveiled its space program in 2021, setting a now-defunct target for an uncrewed moon mission within the first two years.?
The Turkish space agency and other national research institutions are jointly working on the development of a hybrid rocket and establishing a ground control station for future missions.
Gezeravci, a 44-year-old fighter pilot, is to spend as many as 14 days aboard the international station, conducting scientific research, Axiom’s Web site said.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called Gezeravci a day before the planned launch, telling him that the flight would serve as “an inspiration for the Turkish youth.”
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