Excitement rockets as Türkiye astronaut gears up for historic space mission
Turkish President Erdogan meets astronaut Alper Gezeravci, emphasising the mission's significance and its potential to inspire future generations of the country.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has underscored the value of the upcoming space mission during a meeting with Alper Gezeravci — Türkiye's first astronaut — who is embarking on a groundbreaking journey this Wednesday.
Erdogan and Gezeravci held a video conference during a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, during which the Turkish leader stressed on the significance of the mission, both as a scientific endeavour and as a source of inspiration for children and young people.
Erdogan expressed hope that "this mission would be a new beginning," saying: "We will continue this mission. We will always aim higher."
"We are grateful to you for opening the curtain that limits our dreams for future generations," Erdogan told Gezeravci and his team.
'A new symbol of a growing and assertive Türkiye'
Gezeravci will be sent to the International Space Station [ISS] as part of the "first manned space mission," which is the first leg of Türkiye's National Space Programme.
Türkiye's first manned space mission will depart for the ISS at 01:11 am local time on January 18 [2211 GMT on January 17].
Gezeravci with the Axiom Mission 3 [Ax-3] crew will be launched from a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket inside a Dragon spacecraft from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The crew is expected to dock with the ISS on January 19 at 01:15 pm.
During his conversation with President Erdogan, Gezeravci said that he is currently in quarantine in Orlando, Florida, where they will carry out the activities of the "first manned space mission."
"We consider our first Turkish astronaut, who we will send into space tomorrow night at 01:11 am [2211GMT], as a new symbol of a growing, strengthening, and assertive Türkiye," Turkish Industry and Technology Ministry released a statement issued by Erdogan after the Cabinet meeting.