The country’s first space traveler is scheduled to set off from the U.S. state of Florida to the International Space Station (ISS) this week, at 01:11 a.m. local time on Thursday (GMT 10:11 p.m. Wednesday).
The Ax3 mission was originally scheduled for Jan. 9, but bad weather caused it to be rescheduled for Jan. 17.
Turkish astronaut Col. Alper Gezeravci will take part in the mission along with his Spanish, Italian and Swedish colleagues.
The crew is expected to dock with the International Space Station at 1:15 p.m. (GMT 10:15 p.m.) on Friday.
During the two-week mission, Gezeravci will participate in 13 scientific experiments on the International Space Station.
“This historic mission will be a great source of inspiration for future generations as well as being an important milestone in Türkiye’s space science studies,” Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacır said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Highlighting the substantial significance of endeavors within the realm of artificial intelligence, Kacır underscored the immense value they attach to such initiatives.
He explained that their primary focus lies in harnessing the potential of big data to generate value, thereby extending support to projects aimed at fostering innovative products and services across diverse sectors encompassing agriculture, energy, health care and transportation.
Türkiye selected Gezeravci, a Turkish Air Forces Command F-16 pilot, as the country’s first prospective space traveler last year during the major technology event, TEKNOFEST.
The Ax-3 crew will launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket inside a Dragon spacecraft from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The Turkish Space Agency (TUA) designed a special commemorative stamp and envelope and PTT, the national post and telegraph directorate, for Türkiye’s first manned space mission, in which Gezeravci will raise the Turkish flag in space.
The stamp features various symbols, each with a special meaning for the important journey, including a silhouette of Gezeravci with a patch of the Turkish flag on his shoulder.
The Turkish Space Agency was established in 2018 and announced its space program in 2019, as well as its intention to send a crewed mission into space.
(Source: Daily Sabah)
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