A press conference was held after the landing of the suborbital spacecraft “VSS Unity”, which also included Atasever, at the spaceport in New Mexico.
Deputy Minister of Industry and Technology Ahmet Yozgatlıgil and Axiom Space Chief Astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria also attended the meeting.
Atasever pointed out that he had had a very intense trip, saying: “The first shock was the separation. We were only there for a few seconds, but it felt like it lasted longer. Right after the rocket engine started and the power was lost in this spacecraft.” Of course, perhaps the most impressive aspect of the flight was also floating in weightlessness: “It's a lot of fun and very relaxing at the same time,” he said.
Atasever stated that his experience could not be expressed with adjectives, explaining that he could describe it as looking at the Earth and observing the planet from an experimental perspective.
The second Turkish astronaut Tuva Cihangir Atasever makes a statement after the successful completion of the space mission.
https://t.co/i4SWpEeLGO— TRT News Live (@haberhabercanli) June 8, 2024
Atasever pointed out that the experimental part of the flight was successful, saying, “I was able to successfully perform all the necessary operations on the three payloads, which I carried in my customized flight suit. The scientific aspect of the mission was a great success and I am very happy about it,” he said.
Atasever explained that the data obtained during the suborbital flight will be analyzed and that in the next few years they will develop a roadmap for microgravity research for Turkey that will enrich the lives of people in the country and around the world.
“Flags of Türkiye and Azerbaijan stood next to each other”
Atasever mentioned that he took the Turkish flag, which was given to him by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and the Azerbaijani flag, that of his mother's hometown, and said: “They stood side by side with the keffiyeh, which is important for the Palestinian people who are in a very painful situation right now.”
Atasever pointed out that the phrase “two states, one nation” is used for Turkey and Azerbaijan and explained that the flags of both countries are placed next to each other to reflect this.
Atasever stated that he took the watch that President Erdoğan had given him as well as many personal items from his family and friends.
Atasever explained that he was fulfilling this duty for future generations and said:
“A key part of that mission was obviously research, but the real goal is to encourage the next generation to dream bigger, bolder dreams. So what I would tell them is to decide on some really bold dreams and…” Then work diligently and strategically to turn them into achievable goals.” “I would love to do my best to help them achieve their dreams.”
“Turkey is developing into a very important space country”
Deputy Minister of Industry and Technology Yozgatlıgil also pointed out that Turkey has become a very important space country and that the first communication satellite fully developed and produced in Turkey will be launched within a month.
Mentioning that another goal of the National Space Program is to reach the moon in 2026, Yozgatlıgil stated that, like Turkey, they aim to enter space independently and have a spaceport in international cooperation.
Pointing out that they understand the importance of access to space, Yozgatlıgil said, “The space industry and the new space concept are very important for Turkey and we are taking the necessary steps to move in this direction,” he said.
“The future is very bright for young people in Turkey”
Lopez-Alegria also said that Axiom's role in this flight is to fulfill the second phase of its agreement with the Turkish Space Agency.
Lopez-Alegria recalled that the first stage was to fly the first Turkish astronaut Alper Gezeravcı to the International Space Station for research purposes and expressed her satisfaction with participating in it.
Lopez-Alegria mentioned that they had trained together with Atasever and said, “He is an extremely dedicated, devoted, curious, intelligent and talented young man,” he said.
Pointing out that the crew of the Ax-3 space mission, including Alper Gezeravcı, spent a few days in Turkey, Lopez-Alegria said he was very impressed by the importance Turkey attaches to young people.
Lopez-Alegria said they visited several companies in the space industry and that they were surprised to see that most of the employees there were under 30 years old. “I think the future is very bright for young people in Turkey,” he said.
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