2nd Turkish astronaut completes space mission

Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır and the second Turkish astronaut Tuva Cihangir Atasever made significant statements during the joint press conference on Tuesday. Minister Kacır emphasized that they will advance Türkiye's capacity in the space sector, saying, "With the involvement of private sector companies at the beginning of the 21st century, a new space era has begun. The ability to benefit more strongly from the economic opportunities provided by space has strengthened."

Minister Kacır's statements are as follows:

"WE WILL ADVANCE OUR CAPACITY IN SPACE"

"With the experimental sets attached to his body, he conducted 7 different experiments. The scope of the experiments has been expanded. We will advance our country's scientific research and development capacity in the field of space. At the beginning of the 21st century, with the involvement of private sector companies, a new space era began. The ability to benefit more strongly from the economic opportunities provided by space has strengthened. Innovative projects are driven by space research. We will make the most of the opportunities space offers. Türksat 6A will be launched in the week of July 8. We will create our national satellite brand. We will continue to increase public interest in the field of space."

Highlights from Cihangir Atasever's speech:

"I WAS EAGERLY AWAITING THE START OF THE APPLICATIONS"

"When I was young, I never dreamed of becoming an astronaut. For me, the idea of space only started to develop much later in life. In 2017, I began working as an engineer responsible for the avionic systems of satellite launch vehicles in the Directorate of Space Systems. I had the opportunity to work directly on other systems leading to Türkiye's satellite launch vehicle. Our space agency was established, and the national space program was announced in February 2021. After an intense selection process lasting 7-8 months, I was chosen as one of Türkiye's two astronauts. Together with Alper Gezeravcı, we moved to Houston. We underwent intensive and comprehensive training at spacecraft facilities such as NASA, SpaceX, Action, and SA. We had been continuing our preparations since June 2023. I was eagerly awaiting the start of the applications. We completed our flight on June 8.''