Türkiye shifts focus to microgravity research leveraging space mission experience
Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacir, Türkiye’s second space traveler Tuva Cihangir Atasever and first Turkish astronaut Alper Gezeravci pose during news conference in Ankara, Türkiye, June 11, 2024. (AA Photo)
Tuva Cihangir Atasever, Türkiye’s second astronaut, said they are focusing on microgravity research, leveraging the experience gained from the country’s space missions, and will closely follow developments in this field.
Atasever said, “We will work to ensure that Türkiye gets the maximum share from the economic ecosystem that will develop in space until the next manned space mission. We will continue microgravity research without slowing down, learning new information, and conducting more ambitious experiments.”
Atasever, who attended the Sky Observation Event at Uludag in Bursa, mentioned that the event was held in a festive atmosphere and that participants had the opportunity to visit various science center booths.
He also highlighted that sky observations were made during the event, with planets, star clusters, galaxies, and nebulae observed through telescopes in an environment with minimal light pollution.
Atasever emphasized that such events are crucial for attracting the interest of young people who will form the future workforce in Türkiye’s space sector.
“We have a responsibility to a pool of 15,000 applicants. It is our duty to explain our missions and the contributions these missions will make to our country and their lives. We will continue to participate in such events and meet with young people in the future,” he said.
Importance of microgravity research
Atasever noted that the analysis process of scientific experiments conducted within the framework of the National Space Program are ongoing. He also mentioned that experiments conducted in microgravity will provide significant benefits to Türkiye and that they plan to undertake more projects in this field.
“In the coming years, we will encourage young people to become the astronauts and space engineers of the future by sharing the experiences we have gained. We also want to be involved in projects related to production activities in microgravity,” he added.
Türkiye’s space missions and microgravity research are considered important steps in increasing the country’s potential in space technologies.
In this process, the interest and contributions of young people in science and technology are of great significance.
