President Erdoğan speaks via videoconference with Türkiye’s second astronaut Atasever

 

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had a videoconference with Tuva Cihangir Atasever prior to his space mission that will launch tomorrow from New Mexico, US.

“How are the preparations for the suborbital research flight, the continuation of our space mission and microgravity research, going, is everything alright?” President Erdoğan asked. Atasever, in response, said: “I am greatly honored and proud to be in New Mexico to carry out this mission.”

“We are ready for the flight. I had gone through the preparation process with Alper Gezeravcı before,” Atasever said, noting that it was the last day of preparations and that the mission would launch tomorrow.

Atasever stated that a carrier aircraft will take the spacecraft to an altitude of approximately 14,000 meters before being released, and that it will then ignite a hybrid rocket engine to reach an altitude of 90 kilometers within a minute.

“With this mission, you will boost the interest of young generations in science and prepare a particularly great ground for Türkiye’s space research. With this mission, you will take steps to satisfy the curiosity of our children and young people in space. You will be our second astronaut, but not the last. With you, our country will now prepare the foundation for a third manned space mission,” President Erdoğan said.

“On one side is the flag of Türkiye, on the other side is the flag of Azerbaijan because your mother is from Azerbaijan, and you will be representing both brothers,” President Erdoğan said. “Just as these two flags, the flag of our Republic of Türkiye and the flag of Azerbaijan, fly side by side on Earth, they will also be side by side on my chest during my space journey,” Atasever replied.

Stating that this journey will be carried out with the awareness of “two states, one nation”, President Erdoğan wished Atasever success.