Turkey ready to send first Turk to space

ANKARA

Turkey has officially started the Turkish Space Traveler and Science Mission project, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced on May 23.

“We are officially starting the process of sending a Turkish citizen to space, within the scope of our National Space Program,” Erdoğan said during a speech after the cabinet meeting.

“Turkey’s first manned space mission begins,” the Industry and Technology Ministry said in a statement.

“On the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Turkey 2023, there will be a Turk in space,” the statement read.

With this opportunity, the country will have the chance to conduct scientific experiments by using the infrastructure of the International Space Station (ISS). The selected citizens will undergo training before leaving for space.

Authorities have set 10 targets within the scope of the program. According to the Moon Mission, at the end of 2023, Turkey will reach the moon with the national and original hybrid rocket, which will be fired into near-earth orbit and make a hard landing.

Turkey began to receive submissions from citizens to serve aboard the ISS.

Two candidates will be chosen from the applicants. One of them will stay in the ISS for 10 days.

A candidate must be a Turkish citizen, born after May 23, 1977, not have been prohibited from public rights, completed one of the following faculties of Engineering, Science/Basic Sciences, or Medicine in the field of science with at least four years of undergraduate study at higher education institutions and have complete proficiency in English.

They will also need to undergo a medical examination and pass the height and weight requirements.

Candidates will apply through the government’s relevant website uzaya.gov.tr. Other forms of applications will not be accepted. The deadline for the applications is 20:23 on June 23, 2022.

Candidates will be evaluated according to the statements and documents they have entered into the Application System during their application. In case of missing or misleading information in any of the entered information and documents, their application will be deemed invalid. After the initial stage, the applicants will be called in for an interview. Two candidates who pass the two stages will be selected and employed by TUA or TÜBİTAK for ten years.

The developments and announcements about the process will be displayed on the website.