Alper Gezeravci, 44, made his first trip aboard the International Space Station. Turkey also aims to send a machine to the Moon.
Alper Gezeravci, the very first Turkish astronaut returned home Monday to a hero’s welcome, held up as a symbol of the country’s progress in technology and aerospace.
The 44-year-old former fighter pilot was greeted by children laden with bouquets at Ankara’s Esenboga Airport after a three-week private stay on the International Space Station.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan closely followed Gezeravci’s mission, declaring it “a new symbol of a growing, stronger and assertive Turkey”, after the country celebrated its centenary last year.
To gain access to the international space station, Turkey had to pay around $55 million. This was the third such trip organized by Axiom Spacebased in Houston, with NASA and SpaceX.
The expedition is seen in Turkey as a source of national pride and a highlight of its technological advancement, particularly in the field of aerospace and military development such as aerial drones.
Speaking to reporters in front of a set announcing “Turkey’s first manned space mission,” Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacir said that the mission was “a first, but it will not be the last. A new page has opened in the field of space science and technology for Turkey.”
Turkey created its own space agency in 2018 and announced that it would land on the Moon by 2026.
Alper Gezeravci traveled into space with Italian Air Force Colonel Walter Villadei and Swede Marcus Wandt, also a former fighter pilot. They were escorted by retired NASA astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria, who now works for Axiom Space.
The crew returned Friday aboard a SpaceX capsule parachuted into the Atlantic off the coast of Florida.
In orbit, the astronauts carried out scientific experiments and discussed with schoolchildren and officials from their countries. They enjoyed a few extra days at the space station, while waiting for the weather to improve in the landing area.