Alper Gezeravcı: Summary of the Flight Updates
This page is dedicated to inspiring students by showcasing the achievements of Alper Gezeravcı, Turkey’s first astronaut. Our goal is to foster a passion for astronomy and enrich English learning through his remarkable space journey, Mahir B. ingilizcepedia.
Day 1: Jan.18, 2024
Space Journey Begins
The space travelers of Axiom Mission 3 and the first-ever Turkish astronaut Alper Gezeravcı, said hello from their SpaceX Dragon spaceship. They are on a cool trip to the ISS! They talked about what it’s like to be in space for the first time after they took off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. Their team, with help from Axiom Space, SpaceX, and NASA, is making sure their spaceship gets safely to the ISS. They plan to arrive there at 4:19 a.m. ET on Jan. 20. Alper Gezeravcı has a very important job studying space in zero gravity as a Mission Specialist.
Day 2: Jan.19 2024
Alper Gezeravcı’s First Words
Alper Gezeravcı, Turkey’s first astronaut, shared his first words from space by quoting Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founding father of Turkey. He said, “As a member of Turkey’s first space mission and the first Turkish person to set foot in outer space, I would like to start by quoting our founding father Mustafa Kemal Atatürk: ‘The future is in the skies’
Day 3: Jan.20, 2024
Alper Gezeravcı and Ax-3 Crew Mark Historic Arrival at ISS for Research Mission
After a long way today, they finally reached the ISS. Their journey took about 36 hours. They docked at the ISS on Jan. 20 at 5:42 a.m. ET. This mission is the first all-European commercial flight to the ISS. The crew launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Jan. 18. Now at the ISS, they will do research, show new technologies, and do outreach for up to 14 days.
Day 4: Jan.21, 2024
Alper Gezeravcı Leads Plant Study in Space, Ax-3 Crew Begins ISS Mission
They left Earth on Jan. 18 from Florida. Now at the ISS, they are starting their two-week mission. The team prepared their sleeping spaces and got used to zero gravity. They unpacked supplies and learned about emergencies. Gezeravcı is doing a plant experiment in the Destiny lab. This experiment studies how plants handle stress in space. It can help farming on Earth and in space. Another astronaut, Villadei, is working on a brain study in the Columbus lab. It explores how space affects brain cells and uses special nanoparticles for protection.
Day 5: Jan. 22, 2024
The second day finished on the ISS. There will be lots of things to do such as outreach and setting up over 30 experiments. Villadei worked on a cancer cell study and an Alzheimer’s disease project. Wandt prepared for a brain study. The crew also did an event with the Space Generation Advisory Council, answering questions about space life. The crew tested media equipment for future events. Gezeravcı talked with the President of Türkiye, celebrating him being the first Turkish astronaut and Türkiye’s 100th anniversary. MLA will speak about astronaut missions with ASTM International.
Day 6: Jan. 23, 2024
The Ax-3 crew finished their third day on the ISS. They are used to microgravity now and are doing research and outreach. Villadei worked on a cancer study. Gezeravcı worked with plants in a glovebox, adding a growth solution to them for a study that could help farming on Earth and in space. Wandt recorded his brain activity for a study about how being isolated in space affects thinking, stress, and recovery. Yesterday, MLA and Gezeravcı did a webcast about their work and life on the ISS.
Day 7: Jan. 24, 2024
Alper Gezeravcı and The Ax-3 crew finished their fourth day on the ISS. They’ve been orbiting Earth and doing research and outreach. MLA and Villadei used an app to match the ISS sleep schedule. Villadei worked on a cancer cell study. Gezeravcı took images of plant samples for a study on how plants respond to stress in space, which could help farming on Earth and in space. He also studied two types of plants to see how they grow in microgravity. This research can help us understand how plants adapt to tough environments and improve crops for agriculture. Wandt tested a project about robots for space exploration.
Day 8: Jan. 25, 2024
The Ax-3 crew, including Alper Gezeravcı, finished their fifth day on the ISS. They are busy with research and talking to people on Earth. Villadei tested a suit that checks heart rate, body temperature, and movement. Gezeravcı worked on a project (gMETAL) about how gravity affects the mixing of solid particles in a gas. He mixed samples and recorded videos. Wandt did a brain test and trained in Virtual Reality for the ESA. Villadei joined an event with Italy’s Prime Minister. Tomorrow, Gezeravcı will talk with the Türkiye Minister of Industry and Technology about being the first Turkish astronaut and the Ax-3 mission.
Day 9: Jan. 26, 2024
Alper Gezeravcı finished his sixth day on the ISS. They are halfway through their mission. They talked to the media from their countries. Villadei tested Barilla pasta and filled out a questionnaire about its taste and quality. This is to make better food for space. Gezeravcı had a chat with the Türkiye Minister of Industry and Technology. He also recorded a vlog about his time in space. Tomorrow, MLA will talk to students from his old school, the U.S. Naval Academy. Gezeravcı will answer questions from students in Türkiye affected by an earthquake.
Day 10: Jan. 27, 2024
Today, The Ax-3 crew finished their seventh day on the ISS. They had some time off but still did some work. They talked to their families. Villadei tested a special suit again. Gezeravcı checked on plant samples for a project (CRISPR) about how plants handle stress in space. This could help farming on Earth and in space. He also took photos of algae for a project (Algalspace) that studies how algae grow in space. This will help us learn about life support systems for future space missions. Wandt did another brain test and took more photos of thunderstorms from space to study lightning. Gezeravcı answered questions from students in Türkiye affected by an earthquake. Tomorrow, he will have an interview with a big news agency in Türkiye.
Day 11: Jan. 28, 2024
The Ax-3 crew finished their eighth day on the ISS. They were busy with research, talking to the media, and doing outreach. MLA, Villadei, and Gezeravcı gave audio samples for a project (Vokalkord) that uses AI to find diseases by listening to breathing, speaking, and coughing. This can help check astronaut health on future missions. Villadei tested a special suit again and looked at cancer cells for a study about early signs of cancer (Cancer in LEO). Gezeravcı kept checking plant samples for a project (CRISPR) about plant stress in space. He also took photos of algae for a study (Algalspace) about how algae grow in space. Gezeravcı had an interview with a big news agency in Türkiye.
Day 12: Jan. 29, 2024
The Ax-3 crew finished their ninth day on the ISS. They are in the second half of their mission, finishing many research projects. They are also talking with schools, organizations, and media from their areas. Gezeravcı worked on the CRISPR project, harvesting plant samples and taking photos of algae for the Algalspace study. He then froze the algae for later study. Gezeravcı also gave audio samples for the Vokalkord experiment, which uses AI to find diseases by analyzing sounds like breathing and coughing. Gezeravcı will do an event with high school students in Türkiye.
Day 13: Jan. 30, 2024
The Ax-3 crew finished their 10th day on the ISS. Today, Villadei tested Barilla pasta and answered questions to help make tastier food in space. Gezeravcı put plant samples from the CRISPR project in a freezer for preservation. MLA helped Gezeravcı get microalgae samples ready to send back to Earth. This algae study will help with life support systems for future space trips.
Gezeravcı gave another audio sample for the Vokalkord experiment. This project uses AI to find diseases by listening to sounds like breathing and coughing.
Villadei made a video about how water and spinning objects act differently in microgravity. Gezeravcı talked to high school students in Türkiye. Tomorrow, he will answer questions from young children in Ankara, Türkiye.
Day 14: Jan. 31, 2024
Today, on their 14th day at the International Space Station, the Axiom Mission 3 crew are finishing their science experiments and preparing to send their work back to Earth. They’ve also completed their final public events.
Commander López-Alegría assisted Mission Specialist Alper Gezeravcı with his second session of the gMETAL project. This project examines how zero gravity affects the way metal particles mix with gases. It’s important because it helps us understand how materials behave differently in space compared to Earth.
Besides, they worked together on a video about preparing and eating meals in space, showing what life is like on the ISS.
Day 15: Feb. 1, 2024
The Ax-3 astronauts, including Alper Gezeravcı, are getting ready to leave the space station. They talked with the Axiom Space Cargo team about how to pack for going back to Earth. Teams from Axiom Space, SpaceX, and NASA are checking the weather for their return near Florida.
Villadei and Gezeravcı started packing the Dragon spacecraft to leave. Along with MLA and Villadei, Gezeravcı also finished recording sounds for the Vokalkord experiment.
Wandt made a video about preparing food in space, and Gezeravcı made one about using electronics in space. Additionally, Gezeravcı talked with students from schools in Türkiye that were hit by recent earthquakes, answering their questions.
Day 16: Feb. 2, 2024
Axiom Mission 3 Return Delayed: Crew Awaits Favorable Weather for Journey Back from ISS
The Ax-3 team has spent 13 busy days on the International Space Station (ISS) so far and is now preparing to return to Earth. They have been organizing their journey back in a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, scheduled to leave the ISS and land near Florida. Unfortunately, due to unfavorable weather conditions, their return has been postponed to no earlier than February 6.
During their stay, they conducted over 30 scientific experiments, including studies on breast cancer and the tracking of space debris. The entire mission spanned 16 days, with 14 of those days docked at the ISS. Additionally, they engaged with the public in more than 50 events to share insights into their activities. The crew is now waiting for favorable weather to ensure a safe return
Day 17: Feb. 3, 2024
They have been on the International Space Station (ISS) for 14 days. Bad weather stopped them from coming back to Earth as planned, so they will have some free time today.
They are now planning to leave the ISS and come back to Earth on Tuesday, Feb. 6, at the earliest. The teams from Axiom Space, SpaceX, and NASA are watching the weather near Florida where the crew will land. They will share more information about when the crew will come back…
Day 20: Feb. 6, 2024
Days passed in the ISS due to inconvenient weather.
Day 21: Feb. 7, 2024
Finally, The Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) crew, have started their journey back to Earth after spending 18 days at the International Space Station (ISS). They traveled around the Earth 288 times. This morning, they left the ISS in a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. They will land in the ocean near Florida on Feb. 9. They did 56 research projects on space and Earth science, technology, and more.
Day 22: Feb. 8, 2024
The Ax-3 astronauts have finished their 18-day trip in space, traveling 7.6 million miles in 288 orbits around Earth. They left the International Space Station yesterday morning to head back home, with plans to land near Florida tomorrow. This mission had many firsts, including being the first commercial spaceflight with government and ESA-sponsored astronauts. Alper Gezeravcı is the first Turkish astronaut, and Marcus Wandt is the first ESA astronaut on a commercial mission. Ax-3 is part of Axiom Space’s missions, aiming to build the first commercial space station.
Day 23: Feb. 9, 2024
Landing Day: The End of The Space Journey
The Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) crew, including the first-ever Turkish astronaut Alper Gezeravcı, completed the first all-European commercial astronaut mission to the ISS. They landed off the coast of Florida on Feb. 9, 2024, after an 18-day mission. This mission, which is Axiom Space’s third crewed mission to the ISS, is a big step for Europe in space exploration.
It’s notable for including government and ESA-sponsored astronauts, with Alper Gezeravcı making history as Turkey’s first astronaut and Marcus Wandt as the first ESA astronaut on a commercial flight.
Ax-3 is part of Axiom Space’s plans to build the world’s first commercial space station. Axiom Space is working to make space more accessible for everyone, supporting scientific research and education in microgravity. The missions have included astronauts from eight countries and the support of ESA. Axiom Space is planning its next mission, Ax-4, for October 2024.
…The End…
Credits: AxiomSpace
