TEI Hosted Türkiye’s First Astronaut, Alper Gezeravcı, at Visionary Conversations Program
TEI hosted Alper Gezeravcı, Türkiye’s first astronaut and a member of the Board of Directors of the Turkish Space Agency, as part of its “Visionary Conversations” series, which contributes to employee development and brings together employees with experts from various disciplines. The event, held at the TEI Eskişehir campus, was attended by TEI’s Chairman Prof. Fahrettin Öztürk, TEI’s CEO Prof. Mahmut F. Akşit, TEI executives, and employees.
In his speech, Alper Gezeravcı shared his experience on Türkiye’s first crewed space mission, the approximately 22-day mission duration, and the scientific experiments conducted at the International Space Station. Gezeravcı also touched on the strategic goals of the National Space Program, detailing the astronaut selection process—which involved over 36,000 applicants—the training programs, and the 13 scientific experiments conducted during the mission.
Gezeravcı noted that Türkiye is the 22nd country to send humans into space to conduct scientific experiments, highlighting a broad vision that spans from domestic satellite development capabilities to the Moon Program. He stated that the work being carried out in the fields of defense and aerospace industry, materials science, life support systems, and biology will make significant contributions to research on sustainable life on the Moon and Mars. During the program's Q&A session, TEI employees asked questions about space missions and Türkiye’s space vision.
Through the “Visionary Conversations” series, implemented under the “Achieving Together” philosophy, TEI continues to bring its employees together with leading figures in various fields, thereby integrating inspiring perspectives into the company culture. In line with the Secretariat of Defense Industries (SSB) “National Competence Initiative” vision, TEI is steadfastly continuing its efforts to share knowledge, develop qualified human resources, and build sustainable competencies.
