Türkiye’s first astronaut, Alper Gezeravcı, met with young people on Thursday at Teknofest Mediterranean, the world’s largest aviation, space and technology festival held in Antalya, Türkiye’s southern coastal city.

A military pilot in the Turkish Air Force and a board member of the Turkish Space Agency (TUA), Gezeravcı emphasized Türkiye’s goal of sending a rocket to the Moon’s surface. "We are working on a rocket that will make a soft landing on the Moon and operate there," he said.

He added that the project is being led by a Turkish professor who returned to Türkiye through a reverse brain drain after making significant contributions in the field abroad.

Gezeravcı highlighted the rapid progress made since establishing the TUA in 2018. He noted that Türkiye has realistic, attainable goals for its space program.

"Our work on the lunar research program continues. As the Republic of Türkiye, we are working on a project to carry a rocket to the Moon with a system we developed between 2026 and 2028. If our goal were merely to orbit the Moon and bring back a record, we would be able to achieve that with the capabilities we have now," he said.

"Our goal, however, is more ambitious. We plan to send a rocket to the Moon’s surface, not just orbit around it. We are working on a specific plan to send a rocket to a planned point on the Moon’s surface for a hard landing first, followed by a second mission with a rover or a scientific unit for a soft landing and operation," he added.

Throughout his speech, Gezeravcı frequently offered advice to the youth, concluding with: "My humble advice to you is this: If only one person before me has done something, I will do it too, without hesitation. Remember frequently that no one knows your potential better than you do. Do not let anyone judge your potential or label your self-confidence. If someone has done it before you, be sure that you can do it too."

The space journey

Gezeravcı made history on Jan. 18, 2024, when he became the first Turkish citizen to travel to space as part of the Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) mission.

Launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Gezeravcı flew aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket as part of the Ax-3. The spacecraft docked with the ISS on Jan. 20 and undocked with a splashdown in the Atlantic off Florida's coast.

The mission, Türkiye's first space venture, has been celebrated as a milestone in the country’s space ambitions. Gezeravcı emphasized that this mission is just the beginning of Türkiye’s space exploration goals. He expressed that the success represents a national achievement and a significant step in Türkiye’s 10-year space plan, which includes lunar missions and satellite development.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacır praised the mission as a symbol of Türkiye's growing technological prowess. The mission’s triumphant return and the experiments conducted onboard mark a significant advancement in Türkiye’s space program, established in 2018.

Gezeravcı highlighted the mission’s importance in boosting national confidence and setting the stage for future space endeavors.