Under the leadership of the Turkish Space Agency (TUA), a protocol was implemented between All Inventors, Invention, Innovation and Research Association (TÜMMİAD) and Valentura Technology and Investment Inc., which will be an example of public and non-governmental cooperation.
Under the protocol, young people interested in science, technology and space gathered in 37 cities in Türkiye for the first Space Hackathon in Türkiye. During the two-day “TUA Astro Hackathon”, participants spend 36 hours searching for solutions to various problems in space.
Tomorrow, participants' projects will be evaluated by the jury of each city as part of Türkiye's first national space-themed hackathon, which will be held under the coordination of the Ministry of Industry and Technology. The top three winners from 37 cities will then be announced. At a date to be announced later, an evaluation will be made among these teams and the three best teams in Türkiye will be determined. The winning teams receive various awards and support in implementing their projects.
Participants work on many topics, from autonomous route optimization for the lunar surface to innovative radiation shielding for communication satellites to an early warning network for solar storms in regional positioning and timing, from the space industry to orbital dynamics. In addition, proposed solutions on topics such as New Generation Space Literacy and the space station are on the hackathon agenda.
It will be opened to Turkish republics
TUA Astro Hackathon global community leader Koray Hamza Kalaycı told the AA reporter that he has been the local leader of the NASA Space Apps Challenges in various locations in Turkey for five years and has pioneered the organization in additional cities.
Kalaycı then emphasized that they wanted to organize this event locally and continued as follows:
“We presented this idea to TUA. After receiving approval from TUA and authorized entities, signatures were signed to hold the event in Turkey, Turkish Republics, Middle East and Balkans for a period of five years. Thus, under the umbrella of “TUA Astro Hackathon”, we will lead the construction of a space ecosystem in 78 countries. In this way, we want to ensure that the Turkish flag flies in a larger geography.”
Kalaycı explained that since the event is being held for the first time this year, it only focused on Türkiye, but will also expand to these regions from next year.
Emphasizing that the solid foundations laid thanks to the cooperation with the provincial directorates of the Ministry of National Education, the Ministry of Youth and Sports and local governments were effective in realizing the organization in a short period of two months, Kalaycı stated that their meetings with people who previously worked in the field of space and were leaders in their own countries would continue.
“We will continue with more participants”
Talha Kaya, local leader of TUA Astro Hackathon in Ankara, also explained the process of being selected as a local leader.
Kaya, who announced that he was a senior student at the Department of Astronomy and Space Sciences of Ankara University, stated that he successfully completed the required interviews and was elected General Leader of Ankara.
Pointing out that NASA is holding a hackathon in the field of space around the world, Kaya said: “I am proud to be the leader of Türkiye's first national hackathon in Ankara. My previous work in the field of space and the spread of space in society was crucial to my selection for this position. I think that the presence of so many young people interested in space and science in Ankara has played an important role in achieving the goals of our National Space Program. There Since it was the first year, we limited the number of participants and we will continue with more participants in the coming years.” he said.
High school students on duty
TEMA College 9th Grade Student Reyhan Boybaşı also informed about the project he participated in the competition.
Stating that they have developed a vehicle with a bionic arm and special cameras to overcome obstacles on the lunar surface, Boybaşı said: “Our most striking feature is our wheel design. We thought of hidden pallet systems in each wheel to avoid getting stuck in deep craters. In the event of an obstacle, the pallets are activated to raise the vehicle and ensure that the mapping process continues smoothly.” he said.
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