Russia’s space agency ready to send first Turkish astronaut to International Space Station in 2023

As Turkey announced its ambitious 10-year National Space Program last month, sending the first Turkish astronaut into space became one of the most striking targets.

The country is planning to send the first astronaut to the International Space Station in 2023, the centennial of the founding of the Turkish Republic, within the scope of a scientific mission.

Referring to the subject, the director general of the Russian space agency Roscosmos said that “they would be pleased if Turkey defines Russia as a strategic partner in this area.”

Training first Turkish astronaut

“We would like to see Turkish pilots and experts at the Cosmonaut Training Center. We can quickly train both the astronaut and assistants and make them go to the ISS in the coming years,” Dmitry Rogozin said in an interview with Anadolu Agency.

Main activities of the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center are to select and train a cosmonaut, an astronaut of the Soviet or Russian space program, for flights on manned space vehicles as well as testing space equipment and systems.

Rogozin underscored they will be pleased to offer the facility to Turkish astronauts for training.

Turkey’s space program, unveiled by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, also includes to make contact with the Moon in 2023, build a spaceport, and develop sophisticated satellite and meteorology technology.

International Space Station. Photo Credit: NASA

According to a report, the Turkish government plans to build a rocket launch site in Somalia because of its close proximity to the equator. Low-orbit satellites launched from equatorial spaceports are good for data transmissions as they have lower latency.

When asked whether Turkey will choose Somalia, Qatar or Pakistan to construct commercial spaceport, the President of Turkish Space Agency Serdar Huseyin Yildirim declined to comment, saying: “Looks like you’re very well informed.”