Turkey’s first astronaut Alper Gezeravcı completed his 14-day mission at the International Space Station. A farewell ceremony was held at the International Space Station (ISS) for the Axiom-3 (Ax-3) team, including Gezeravcı.
Axiom Space broadcast live the farewell ceremony prepared for the Ax-3 team, including the first Turkish astronaut Gezeravcı.
In his speech at the farewell ceremony, Gezeravcı said, “I am very honored and happy to have carried out Turkey’s first manned space mission in the new Turkish Century, in which we took a step as a continuation of our proud history.” said.
Wishing that this task they carried out would be an inspiring start for young people who are the guarantee of the future, Gezeravcı said, “This was the starting point of a story, not a destination. May our next path be auspicious for our entire nation.” he said.
THE JOURNEY WILL TAKE 30 HOURS
Gezeravcı performed 13 experiments during the space mission.
Gzeravcı and his teammates, who will return to earth with the Dragon capsule, are expected to land in the ocean off the coast of Orlabdo in the USA. Gezeravcı’s return journey is estimated to take 30 hours.
The vehicle that carried Gezeravcı into space was launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA, on January 16. Ax-3 Mission astronauts Michael López-Alegría, Walter Villadei, Marcus Wandt and Alper Gezeravcı entered the International Space Station on Saturday, January 20, at 15.13 GMT.
HE CONDUCTED 13 EXPERIMENTS
Gezeravcı performed 13 experiments during his mission. Finally, in his statement regarding the experiments in question, Gezeravcı gave the following information:
“Our experimental subjects include different disciplines in the fields of biology, physics, medicine and genetics. We have the ‘gMetal’ experiment prepared within TÜBİTAK. We are investigating the effect of creating a homogeneous mixture between solid particles and fluid medium under chemically non-reactive conditions on gravity. In the field of medicine, we are investigating the effects of the space environment on human health. Here, we are examining the effect of radiation exposure on cancer-causing suppressor cells. We are investigating the genes that are affected by the non-gravity environment, whose functions have not yet been discovered, and their relationship with the immune system. In order to detect these effects, blood samples have started to be taken around the world, and they are still being taken. At the end of the mission, the final blood is again taken. “The study on the sample will be completed by taking my samples. We are investigating the effect of propolis on bacteria in the microgravity environment with the ‘PRANET’ experiment.”
