Turkish Space Agency

Turkish researchers have undertaken the country's first space breeding project, sending chickpea and Arabidopsis (cress) seeds into space.

Coordinated by the Turkish Space Agency, the project utilized the "Shijian-19" satellite operated by the China National Space Administration. The seeds remained in orbit for 14 days before being returned to Earth for further study.

The aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights, have illuminated the Turkish skies for the second time.

Appearing in vivid shades of red, green and violet, the northern lights have lit up the horizon in both the northern province of Kastamonu and northwestern city of Sakarya.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said his government does not discriminate against citizens based on their political views.

"We all remember very well what happened to us in the past when the institution of politics lost its ability to offer hope and find solutions to the country's problems," he said, addressing a crowd in northern Rize city on Feb. 17.

Turkish first astronaut Alper Gezeravcı has been appointed to the Board of Directors of the Turkish Space Agency (TUA), a national institution committed to supporting the development of space and aviation science and technologies in the country.

Türkiye's first astronaut, Alper Gezeravcı, arrived in the country on Feb. 12, a few days after returning to Earth and completing his two-week mission in space.

Türkiye's first space traveler Alper Gezeravcı has executed the oxygen saturation experiment aboard the International Space Station (ISS), marking the sixth in a series of 13 experiments planned for his mission.

Türkiye's first astronaut Alper Gezeravcı, who will conduct 13 experiments over 14 days, has investigated CRISPR-GEM on Jan. 23, gene modification efficiency in plants under microgravity and the potential of microalgae to be used in space.

Türkiye's first space traveler Alper Gezeravcı will take the "Schrenkiella Parvula" plant, which grows endemically in Salt Lake in Türkiye's Central Anatolia region, to space to test its feasibility for the purpose of improving soil on the Moon and Mars.

A Turkish citizen will be sent to the International Space Station (ISS) in the second half of 2023 within the scope of the Turkish Space Traveler and Science Mission project, Industry and Technology Mustafa Varank has said.

International Space Convention, one of the world's most prestigious space events, will be held for the first time in Türkiye, with the key players of the industry gathering in the northwestern province of Bursa.

The convention organized by Altair Enterprises, will be conducted in GUHEM, the space and aviation training center, between Sept. 9 and 11.