Türkiye’s second astronaut to perform 3 experiments in 3 minutes

ANKARA

Türkiye’s second astronaut, Tuva Cihangir Atasever, is set to embark on his space mission on June 8.

During the one-and-a-half-hour suborbital flight, which will take off from the Spaceport facilities in New Mexico, U.S., Atasever will perform three scientific experiments in just three minutes.

Atasever follows Alper Gezeravcı, the first Turkish astronaut who performed his space mission from Jan. 19 to Feb. 9, in advancing Türkiye’s presence in space exploration.

The mission aims to gather critical data about how microgravity affects human health.

Atasever explained the significance of the mission and stated, “There will be seven different scientific experiments on this flight. The experiments will examine how badly astronauts’ health can be affected by increased cranial pressure when they are in microgravity.”

“An electronic device will be placed on the forehead to examine blood flow and pressure changes. The experiments we will conduct will provide us with important information not only for space science in Türkiye but also for some of the problems that astronauts in the world may face in the coming years,” he added.

The mission will also explore potential solutions for future space habitats and space stations.

“In this suborbital flight, we will be conducting the first preliminary experiments that will allow people who live in habitats and space stations that will be built in Earth orbit and perhaps lunar orbit in the coming years to stay in those environments for long periods of time,” Atasever noted.

He also elaborated on the broader implications of the research.

“How does being in space affect our immune system? Do these changes in the expression of our genes caused by being in microgravity conditions increase the chances and effectiveness of the immune system to fight certain inherited diseases? We will have the chance to investigate these.”

The suborbital flight includes a crucial three-minute window during which Atasever will conduct his experiments.

“So, I will have three minutes to perform three different experiments that I will carry out,” Atasever stated.