Details of the Turkish astronaut mission, from training to political goals

According to the international group Tasnim news agency, Turkey plans to soon Send your first astronaut into space as a member of a European team. As it was predictable, this action of Turkey was noticed with much pomp and publicity in the media close to the Justice and Development Party, and the successful completion of the training course of the Turkish astronaut was reflected as an achievement and good news. given.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in 2023, to highlight News Regarding his country’s efforts in the field of astronautics, he carried out many publicity measures, one of which was the establishment of the Faculty of Space Sciences and Aeronautics in Samsun province. Azdemir Beirgdar, a late Turkish engineer in the automotive industry, is one of the students of the late Najmuddin Arbakan and the father of Seljuq Beirgdar, the designer and mastermind of the T.B.2 armed drones manufacturer.

Erdogan allocated a significant budget to The newly established organization “Turkey Astronautical Agency” has dedicated and during his trip to New York to speak at the United Nations General Assembly, he met with Elon Musk and asked him to participate in the Turkish Aviation and Astronautical Industry Exhibition, which is held at the initiative of his son-in-law. , to participate.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also met with International Astronautical Federation Secretary General Christian Faichtinger last year and asked him to help Turkish space researchers.

Now, in line with these promotional measures, it has been announced that the first Turkish astronaut will be sent soon. The person who has been chosen as the representative of Turkey to travel to space is one of the country’s air force pilots, and a large amount has been paid for his training and the cost of this trip.

The establishment of the Turkish Space Agency on December 13, 2018, is a turning point in the Erdogan government’s desire to use the propaganda capabilities of the concept, which the Turkish media refers to as ” Space homeland.

Of course, the initial step of Turkish space research to It goes back to 1994 and the launch of the first communication satellite. Gokman Space Aviation Training Center in Bursa Province, Turkey last year hosted the Planetary Congress for 5 days in September. This congress was organized by the Space Explorers Association and more than 70 world-famous astronauts attended it.. =”RTL”>First two people were chosen but then…

How many Last month, during the TEKNOFEST Turkish Air and Space Industry Exhibition in Istanbul, Erdoğan was wearing a red pilot’s uniform and gave the same uniform to his special guest Ilham Aliyev, the President of Azerbaijan, during his speech. , called two people to the stage to announce their names as the two chosen people to be sent to space:

1. A young man named Tuva Jahangir Atasavar with a master’s degree in electronic engineering from the prestigious Bilkent University of Ankara and a member of the Roketsan Missile Industry Complex.

2. Alper Gazar Avci has a degree in electronic engineering from the Turkish Air Force College and a master’s degree from the American Institute of Air Force Studies. He has been an F-16 fighter pilot of the Turkish Air Force for 21 years and has participated in many air force operations as a squadron commander.

Erdogan announced in his speech that these two people from Among thousands of applicants, they are sent to their training course as the first Turkish astronauts. But yesterday, the Turkish media announced that it is only Alper Gazar Avci who will board the ship.

Currently, it is not clear whether Tuva Jahangir Atasavar did not succeed in the training course or the expenses of the trip. It is in the middle or it is going to be sent in the next trips. But for now, it has become public that the cost of training and sending Alper Beg is exactly 55 million US dollars. Erdoğan gave a Turkish flag to Alper to fly on the space station and then bring it back to the country.

According to Yeni Shafaq Ankara newspaper, the countdown to the trip space has started and the mission will be carried out on January 17, 2024 with the presence of astronauts from Turkey, Italy, Spain and Sweden. It has successfully completed its SpaceX Dragon spacecraft training and is now awaiting its journey. This Turkish astronaut is supposed to participate in 13 experimental and research projects during his stay at the space station, and according to Mehmet Kajar, Minister of Science and Technology in Erdogan’s cabinet, one of these experiments is supposed to be in fields such as biology, medicine , material science and genetics, has been developed by the students of Alp Arslan University of Science and Art Center in Mosh Province, Turkey.

This flight, which is expected to last approximately 14 days , will be carried out by Axiom Space and will use the Crew Dragon spacecraft. This spacecraft will take off from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA, and from there it will fly to the International Space Station and after completing the mission, it will fall into the ocean.

The Ax-3 crew consists of the expedition’s commander, Michel López Alegria, representing the United States and Spain, military pilot Alper Gezer Avci from Turkey, military pilot Walter Viladi from the Italian Air Force, and Sweden’s Marcus Vant representing the European Space Agency. . Although this trip is defined as a commercial space trip, the Turkish government insists on presenting it as a milestone in scientific progress. So, caught in the ever-increasing economic crisis and inflation, and providing 55 million dollars for training and sending to space is not easy. However, Erdogan’s opponents have not objected to this issue. Because Turkish people are particularly sensitive about military-defense issues and all issues that are presented as a national epic.

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