1st Turkish astronaut selection for space mission to take place in coming months

By Abdullah Dogan

KONYA, Turkiye (AA) – The selection process for the first Turkish astronaut to go into space on a science mission in the coming year will be done in the coming months, according to the head of the Turkish Space Agency (TUA).

Serdar Huseyin Yildirim spoke to Anadolu Agency in an exclusive interview about the latest developments in Turkey's National Space Program (NSP).

"We think that the astronaut selection (process) will take two to three months. At the end of the year, the astronaut will be ready to go to space next year," he said, adding that the training period for the first Turkish astronaut will also take up to six months.

Yildirim stated that the astronaut will have a science mission and will stay in the space station for a week or 10 days before performing various experiments and returning.

The final design of the spacecraft, which will embark on the country's Lunar Exploration Mission, will be finalized in June, he said, adding that it will be ready by the end of 2023 or the beginning of 2024.

"With the Lunar Exploration Mission, Turkey becomes one of the few countries capable of reaching the Moon, which is a great move," he remarked.