Turkey’s first astronaut Gezeravcı continues his scientific experiment work at the International Space Station. He shared his experiences and curiosities in space. After President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır, Gezeravcı made the first live broadcast connection with Samsun University students and academics. Students asked, Gezeravcı, who carries our star and crescent flag in space, answered.
“HAVING THE HONOR OF CARRYING OUR CRESCENT AND STAR FLAG IN SPACE IS A FEELINGS BEYOND DESCRIPTION”
“How does it feel to be in space?” Upon the question, Gezeravcı said, “Having the honor of carrying our star and crescent flag in space is a feeling beyond description. Feeling your support here, knowing that you share my feelings and thoughts, makes my experiences even more valuable, as happiness increases when shared with the family. Every time I pass by where our glorious flag that brought me here hangs at the station, I feel and shudder at the happiness, pride and excitement that our state, which has taken this great step with its will and determination, brings to our nation. In fact, if I were not in a zero-gravity environment, I would say that my feet were off the ground. However, this expression has no physical equivalent in the current environment,” he said.
“IT IS A MONUMENT WHERE HUMANITY SHAPES ITS FUTURE PEACEFULLY AND COOPERATIVELY”
When asked about the International Space Station, Gezeravcı stated that the International Space Station, where he works, is a space base located in low orbit of the Earth and said, “This space base, which is at an average altitude of 400 kilometers above the Earth’s surface and moves at a speed of approximately 8 kilometers per second, is a space base for scientific research in a low gravity environment.” It serves as a laboratory that allows experiments to be carried out. In addition, it is also a manned artificial satellite with which we can simultaneously observe the world. At a speed of approximately 28 thousand kilometers per hour, we make a full tour around the world every 90 minutes on average. As for its dimensions, it is approximately the size of a football field. With its dimensions of 74 meters by 110 meters, this station is the largest structure ever built by humankind in space; Its weight is approximately 420 tons. The first modules that made up the ISS were carried by rockets and space shuttles belonging to Russia and the United States. Since then, studies and investigations in many scientific fields have been carried out at this station by many states and continue to be carried out. “From this perspective, we can say that it is a monument where humanity shapes its future peacefully and in cooperation.”
“WE LEARNED THE NORMAL OPERATION AND EMERGENCY PROCEDURES OF THE SPACE STATION”
“What kind of steps have you gone through so far to be able to live and adapt to the International Space Station?” Gezeravcı answered the question as follows: “First of all, we received low pressure chamber and centrifuge training to meet the physiological requirements of the task. In these trainings, we studied the sudden acceleration of a spacecraft under launch and orbit conditions, the effects of living in a very short time on the human body and how to resist these. Then, we completed training on the normal operation and possible emergency scenarios of the Falcon-9 rocket and the Dragon spacecraft on which the launch will take place. This part was very important. Thus; There were hundreds of different combinations of scenarios by which possible emergency scenarios could be diversified. After this, we learned the normal operation and emergency procedures of the space station. Then, we completed the theoretical and then practical training of the scientific experiments that we will carry out, specific to our mission, in our own country, with the participation of Turkish scientists. Finally, we studied emergency scenarios after landing on water that we may encounter during the return to earth at the end of the mission. “We received training to survive in such situations.”
“DRAGON CAPSULE IS A SPACECRAFT DESIGNED TO LAND ON WATER RETURN OF MISSION”
“Where will you land after the mission?” When asked, Gezeravcı said, “The Dragon capsule is a spacecraft designed to land on water after returning from a mission. Our planned landing will be at one of a total of 7 potential landing points located in the Atlantic Ocean to the east of the state of Florida, where the launch took place, and the Gulf of Mexico to the west. Why do I say potential? Because; The decision is made by reviewing the statistical evaluations made before the launch regarding the day and time of the landing decision in the light of current information. It is necessary to decide on the landing point according to the status of many factors that are effective in landing planning, such as meteorological information, wave heights, and so on, at the planned landing time. All these details I mentioned are valid for planned landing. There are also unplanned landings; In these unexpected situations, emergency scenarios come into play. In such a situation, an evaluation was made in terms of meteorology and search and rescue conditions around the world; “Descent can occur at any point where risk factors are minimized,” he replied.
“EXPERIMENTS ARE CARRIED OUT WITHIN THE SCOPE OF THE RESEARCH OF SCIENTISTS AND STUDENTS”
“What kind of experiments are you doing on the International Space Station?” Answering the question, Gezeravcı said, “Our experimental subjects include research topics in different disciplines in the fields of material science, biology, physics, medicine and genetics. These experiments are carried out within the scope of research by scientists and students. To give a few examples, in our gMetal experiment prepared within TÜBİTAK; We will investigate the effect of gravity on the formation of a homogeneous mixture between solid particles and fluid medium under chemically unreactive conditions. On the other hand, we have an experiment in the medical field where we examine the effects of the space environment on human health. This experiment examines the effect of radiation exposure on cancer-causing suppressor cells. In addition, genes whose functions have not yet been discovered and are affected by the non-gravity environment and their relationship with the immune system are being investigated. In order to detect these effects, my blood samples were first taken while I was on earth. Currently, my blood samples continue to be taken in space. At the end of the mission, I will give a blood sample again after we land on Earth. The results will be sent to our relevant teachers. In our MIYOKA experiment, designed by our TÜBİTAK SPACE Institute to be carried out in the coming days, we will test an electronic card production technology developed by Turkish engineers and to be applied in space for the first time. We expect that this unique technique, which emerged from the experiences gained while designing and producing the cards of our Rasat, Göktürk-2, İmece and Türksat-6A satellites, will make invaluable contributions to other space projects in the national space program, especially the Lunar Research Project. The integration of this experiment will continue after the mission.
Finally, I would like to talk about the PRANET experiment, which shows the importance of our youth in the eyes of our state. We will examine the effects of propolis in the PRANET experiment presented by our student brothers from Muş Science and Art Center. I will bring the data obtained from all these experimental studies back to earth with me upon my return from duty and hand them over to our scientists for analysis and evaluation. “Afterwards, these data will be evaluated and the results of our country’s first scientific research conducted in space will be obtained.”
“THE MICROGRAVITY ENVIRONMENT OFFERS MANY DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH THAT WE DO NOT HAVE IN THE WORLD”
“What kind of contribution did or will these experiments you conducted on the International Space Station have to us?” Gezeravcı said, “It is a very good question and has very different and specific answers for different experiments. But if we look at their common features, gravity on the Earth has a great impact on all biological, physical and chemical processes that take place there. This effect When we remove it, delicate processes such as the way cells communicate and the formation of crystal structures that make up substances also differ, making it difficult for scientists to study the crystal structures of key proteins linked to cancer, viruses, genetic disorders and heart disease, whereas examining these crystals in the microgravity environment at this station allows us to examine the crystal structures of a tumor. “It is possible to analyze how it develops and conduct research to make a new drug to combat it. Therefore, the microgravity environment offers very different opportunities for scientific research that we do not have on Earth,” he replied.
“I ALSO TRIED TO SHOOT INSIDE THE SPACE STATION”
“Will you share photos from space with us?” When asked, Gezeravcı said, “Yes, of course. This is part of my duty. First of all, I take photos and videos about the experiments that our scientists need. One of the first goals is to carry out the planned experiments and collect the necessary data about them completely. In addition, whenever the opportunity arises, I take photos and videos about the experiments. , I also tried to take shots inside the space station. Of course, I also take photos of the world for you. I will share them with you step by step. Our world is a very photogenic planet with the blue of its oceans, the white of its clouds and many other colors, photos of these will meet you soon.
“WE ARE WORKING TO LET TURKEY KNOW THAT IT EXISTS THERE TOO”
“How does it make you feel to be the first astronaut of Turkey, to be there, to carry out these proud activities? Do you feel privileged?” In response to the question, Gezeravcı said, “I am extremely happy to be a part of a very valuable and important mission and to be able to carry the dreams of our future generations beyond the sky they can see with their own eyes, into the depths of space. The responsibility of representing our country’s presence here outweighs my presence here. I am committed to the mission of our nation into space.” “I see it as the reaching hand. I am actually part of a very large team, the rest of which is on the ground. As a team, we are working to ensure that when you, the valuable young people and future generations, look at the skies, they know that Turkey is there too.”
“I FEEL FREE AND FREE LIKE A BIRD”
“As an astronaut who was a pilot, what were the elements that you found most challenging and adapted to most comfortably in the zero-gravity environment?” In response to the question, Gezeravcı said, “The most difficult thing for everyone on the International Space Station is to remain stable in one position. It is almost impossible to do this for a long time. The most comfortable thing I feel and the biggest benefit of my flight experience on Earth is that I can orient myself very quickly in a zero-gravity environment.” “I feel truly free and free like a bird, in a microgravity environment, without my steel wings,” he replied.
“IT JUST LOOKS AMAZING”
“How does it feel to watch the earth from space?” To the question, Gezeravcı said, “In one word, it looks great. In this deep and dark space, the world that hosts us has a beauty that fascinates people with its colors. This image makes me deeply feel the unique value of our living space in space and realize once again that I must do my best to preserve this beauty. In order to protect our planet, we, as a country, should focus on green and clean energy production projects. For example, when I look into space from here, I see the unlimited source of the Sun. We can use this resource in a very limited way in the world. Also, when you look at the world from where I am, you feel as if you are seeing it for the first time. When you look at it from here, when you get far enough away, the whole world actually becomes your home. “You realize that it is actually the home of all humanity, with its cities, countries, mountains, oceans and all the details that seem to be separate and different from each other when you are on it,” he said.
“YOU FEEL LIKE I’M LOOKING AT A VARIOUS SPACE”
“How does it feel to look across the Space Station into the dark universe?” To the question posed as follows, Gezeravcı said, “You feel like you are looking into a vast void. But this is a void decorated with galaxies and stars. I was very impressed when I first saw the Moon photo taken by our İMECE satellite, which was launched in 2023. “Now, after seeing the fascinating images of galaxies and stars from here, I think how important it is to discover the secrets of the universe,” he replied.
(UAV)