Mission success: 14-day journey of Türkiye's 1st space traveler marked by scientific experiments

Türkiye's first space traveler, Alper Gezeravcı, has conducted 13 scientific experiments on the International Space Station (ISS) during his 14-day journey. As part of the Axiom-3 Mission, Gezeravcı was launched on Jan. 18 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in the U.S. state of Florida on a Falcon 9 rocket from private space company SpaceX, docking with the ISS on Jan. 19. While it planned to bring the crew back on Saturday, Feb. 3, SpaceX postponed the return until Feb. 5 at the earliest. The four-person crew was responsible for conducting more than 30 experiments. GEZERAVCI'S EXPERIMENTS Developed by Yıldız Technical University in Istanbul, the second experiment is called CRISPR-Gem, named for CRISPR gene editing techniques. It sought to investigate the effectiveness of these techniques on plants in a microgravity environment, contributing to understanding and improving the defense mechanisms of plants as the skeletons of bioregenerative life support systems crucial for long-term space missions and humanity's extra-planetary future. The VocalCORD experiment by Istanbul's Haliç University aimed to detect disturbances in the physiology of the respiratory system from frequency changes in the voice, utilizing smartwatch artificial intelligence, and investigating the effects of zero gravity on the human voice. From Istanbul's Nişantaşı University, the Oxygen Saturation experiment sought to identify differences and disorders caused by low gravity by calculating the oxygen level of the air with the support of artificial intelligence. During the experiment Pranet by Muş Science and Art Center students, the effect of propolis on bacteria in microgravity environments was investigated. The UYNA experiment investigated the effects of antigravity environment on properties in melting and solidification processes, aimed to make a significant contribution to Türkiye's ability to develop next-generation materials for aerospace and defense industries. The experiment Myeloid, developed by Hacettepe University in Türkyie's capital Ankara, aimed to measure and evaluate the impact of travel and space conditions, as well as cosmic radiation damage, on participants of space missions at the level of myeloid-derived suppressor cells. SPACE VOYAGE YEARS IN THE MAKING Applications were published by the Turkish Space Agency in May 2022, with the selection of candidates being based on their work and expertise in engineering, physics, medicine, astronomy and sports. The Turkish Space Agency was established in 2018 and announced its space program in 2019, as well as plans to send a crewed mission into space. In remarks stressing the significance of the Ax3 mission as a scientific endeavor and a source of inspiration for children and young people, Erdoğan voiced hope on Tuesday that the mission 'would be a new beginning,' adding: 'We will continue this mission. We will always aim higher.'

Mission success: 14-day journey of Türkiye's 1st space traveler marked by scientific experiments

During his 14-day mission, Alper Gezeravcı, Türkiye's inaugural space traveler, successfully executed 13 scientific experiments aboard the International Space Station (ISS).