‘Earth looks very fragile from space, take care of it’

By Dilara Hamit and Handan Kazanci

IZMIR, Türkiye (AA) – Looking down at Earth from space is a wonderful experience that changes our perspective. “From space, it looks very fragile. We should take care of our planet because it's our only home and it's very fragile,” astronauts offered their insights beyond the “blue planet.”

Speaking with Anadolu, two astronauts, and one cosmonaut shared their views and experiences in space, advising future space travelers to dream big and pursue their passions.

One of the astronauts who took part in TEKNOFEST 2023, Türkiye's premier technology and aerospace event in Türkiye’s Aegean Izmir province, is Stephanie Wilson, 57.

Wilson, along with 70 astronauts and cosmonauts, is in Türkiye as part of a congress by the Association of Space Explorers, a group of astronauts and cosmonauts, in the northwestern Turkish province of Bursa.

When asked if they met with Türkiye's first would-be space travelers for a 14-day mission to low-Earth orbit, Wilson said: “We have the opportunity to meet the two Turkish astronauts who will be flying with our collective space program.”

Türkiye selected Alper Gezeravci and Tuva Cihangir Atasever as the country's first space travelers in TEKNOFEST's Istanbul edition in 2023.

“(I) did not have any particular advice but it was wonderful to meet them. They are so enthusiastic, so well qualified and we look forward to working with them,” added Wilson who is a veteran of three spaceflights in 2006, 2007, and 2010.

Italian astronaut Paolo Nespoli, 66, agreed with Wilson. “It looks like when we were younger, we were full of energy, full of passion to go to space.”

“We can only say Godspeed, we tell them, go and fly,” added Nespoli who studied Aerospace Engineering in New York.

- ‘We should take care of our planet’

About the emotional impact of seeing Earth from space for the first time, Russian cosmonaut Denis Matveev, 40, said: “That was really an impact because you can see no borders from space.”

“You'll see blue and white and we should have named our planet, maybe Water, not Earth,” Matveev said jokingly.

Noting “how fragile” the earth looks from space, Matveev also pointed out the pollution due to human activity. “We should take care of our planet because it's our only home and it's very fragile.” Matveev studied computing at Bauman Moscow State Technical University.

Asked what would be her advice to young girls who want to follow her footsteps, especially in developing countries, Wilson, who is the second African American woman to go into space, said: “I would say and reiterate something that Paolo had mentioned earlier, when we were talking to the community here at TEKNOFEST (it) is to dream and to really imagine the impossible.”

“And get a strong technical background and be the best judge of your own capabilities,” she added.

“It may be the case that people may see your potential differently, but have faith in your abilities, and do not be afraid to explore and to dream and to take on all opportunities and challenges,” she explained.

Born in the US, Wilson studied engineering and logged more than 42 days in space.

- Aliens

About the latest rumors on aliens, Italian astronaut Nespoli said: “Well, people ask me this question all the time. And I answered by saying that I never saw any alien. Though looking at the sky and looking at the millions or billions of stars in the sky, millions of billions of planets, I think somewhere there is some kind of life.”

“We just have to find it and so far, we didn’t find it. And they did not find us either,” Nespoli added.