Turkish women set to join space missions in coming years, says T3 Foundation chairman

By Zeynep Duyar

Female Turkish astronauts will join space missions in the coming years, said the chair of the Turkish Technology Team (T3) Foundation as he encouraged all women passionate about the field to stay motivated and committed.

Elvan Kuzucu Hidir evaluated for Anadolu the recent trend of women turning to advanced technology fields such as space and science.

Kuzucu Hidir, a member of the Board of Directors of the Turkish Space Agency (TUA), underlined that Türkiye is a country that successfully implements space projects in various fields including satellite and telecommunications.

Noting that in 2023, IMECE, Türkiye’s first indigenous high-resolution Earth observation satellite, was successfully launched into space, Kuzucu Hidir said the Turkish Astronaut and Science Mission within the National Space Program 2022 - 2030 Strategy Document vision was completed by astronaut Alper Gezeravcı.

Kuzucu Hidir underscored the presence of female engineers working in public and private institutions in the space sector.

"I have no doubt that Turkish women will serve in space missions as astronauts in the coming years. Just as we have female F-16 pilots, our female astronauts will also carry out very successful missions. Women who want to work in space should keep their faith and motivation high,” she said.

The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft carrying the Axiom-3 (Ax-3) crew, including Gezeravci, Türkiye's first space traveler, was launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in the US state of Florida on Jan. 18 at 4.49 p.m. EDT.

Gezeravci conducted 13 scientific experiments and completed his journey by returning to Earth on Feb. 9.

Italian space traveler Col. Walter Villadei said working with Gezeravci was "an incredible experience."

- Number of female students in engineering, space on rise

Kuzucu Hidir highlighted that the T3 Foundation provides various education to children under the "National Technology Initiative," emphasizing that the proportion of girls is high, especially in the Deneyap Technology Workshops, similar to TEKNOFEST competitions.

Kuzucu Hidir shared that in the past, the number of male students in engineering faculties was considerably higher than female, but now there is intense interest from female students in engineering faculties.

Pointing out the increase in the number of female students in model satellite and rocket competitions as part of TEKNOFEST, Kuzucu Hidir said: "This gives us hope because the quality of every work that our women put effort into becomes much higher."