By Matthew Roscoe • Updated: 19 Sep 2022 • 14:46
Turkey and US-based Axiom Space sign agreement to send first Turkish astronaut into space. Image: @varank/Twitter
Mustafa Varank, Turkey’s Minister of Industry and Technology, announced the agreement with US-based Axiom Space via social media on Monday, September 19.
“We signed a historical agreement on the first manned space mission to be carried out in the 100th anniversary of our Republic,” he said.
“We will cooperate with Axiom Space for the training and flight service of the Turkish space traveller whose selection process is ongoing.
“With the National Space Program, dreams turn into pride.”
Cumhuriyetimizin 100. yılında gerçekleştireceğimiz insanlı ilk uzay görevinde tarihi bir anlaşmaya imza attık. Seçim süreci devam eden Türk uzay yolcusunun eğitim ve uçuş hizmeti için @Axiom_Space ile işbirliği yapacağız.#MilliUzayProgramı ile hayaller gurura dönüşüyor. 🇹🇷🚀 pic.twitter.com/tqjA5OTedR — Mustafa Varank (@varank) September 19, 2022
Cumhuriyetimizin 100. yılında gerçekleştireceğimiz insanlı ilk uzay görevinde tarihi bir anlaşmaya imza attık.
Seçim süreci devam eden Türk uzay yolcusunun eğitim ve uçuş hizmeti için @Axiom_Space ile işbirliği yapacağız.#MilliUzayProgramı ile hayaller gurura dönüşüyor. 🇹🇷🚀 pic.twitter.com/tqjA5OTedR
— Mustafa Varank (@varank) September 19, 2022
Axiom Space will provide training and flight services to Turkey as part of Turkey’s efforts to expand its space exploration capabilities and establish a national manned space programme.
The company will also enable Turkish space travellers to conduct scientific research in zero gravity.
People reacted to the news.
“God bless, I’m going for the National Space Program…” one person wrote.
Allah’a emanet olun, #MilliUzayProgramı için gidiyorum… https://t.co/iLagCtoSUn — FİLİKA (@filikasanat) September 19, 2022
Allah’a emanet olun, #MilliUzayProgramı için gidiyorum… https://t.co/iLagCtoSUn
— FİLİKA (@filikasanat) September 19, 2022
Although another person said: “The one who pays is already going to space. It’s a shame, don’t waste the nation’s money on such things.”
Yahu parasını veren uzaya zaten gidiyor. Yazıktır harcamayın böyle şeylere milletin parasını. — Aydın (@cheodtu) September 19, 2022
Yahu parasını veren uzaya zaten gidiyor. Yazıktır harcamayın böyle şeylere milletin parasını.
— Aydın (@cheodtu) September 19, 2022
Axiom Space, Inc., also known as Axiom, is an American privately funded space infrastructure developer headquartered in Houston, Texas.
The news of Turkey partnering up with US company Axiom to try to get into space comes after a historic spaceflight involving US and Russian astronauts was announced to launch from Kazakhstan this week.
Roscosmos, the Russian space agency, said that a NASA team had arrived in Kazakhstan at the Russia-operated Baikonur Cosmodrome on Sunday, September 18 ahead of the scheduled flight to the International Space Station (ISS) on Wednesday, September 21.
Thank you for taking the time to read this article, do remember to come back and check The Euro Weekly News website for all your up-to-date local and international news stories and remember, you can also follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
Share this story
Subscribe to our Euro Weekly News alerts to get the latest stories into your inbox!
By signing up, you will create a Euro Weekly News account if you don't already have one. Review our Privacy Policy for more information about our privacy practices.
Originally from the UK, Matthew is based on the Costa Blanca and is a web reporter for The Euro Weekly News covering international and Spanish national news. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com.
By signing up, you will create a Euro Weekly News account if you don’t already have one. Review our Privacy Policy for more information about our privacy practices.
Download our media pack in either English or Spanish.