Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- There are only a few hours left until one of the grandiose events in the history of the Turkish Republic - the dispatch of the first manned mission to the International Space Station (ISS).

Turkish astronaut Alper Gezeravcı will travel to the ISS as part of the third commercial Axiom mission (Ax-3) on the night of 17-18 January. The launch will take place from the staging area of the Kennedy Space Center in Florida under the auspices of SpaceX at 01.11. Gezeravca’s journey marks the culmination of years of Türkiye’s unwavering efforts in space exploration.

Türkiye began implementing ambitious plans for space exploration with the creation of its own space agency on 13 December 2018. The tasks of the TUA agency, set by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, included the preparation and implementation of the National Space Program.

On 9 February 2021, the Turkish head of state unveiled the Turkish National Space Program. Among the ten goals of the program is a manned mission to the ISS, in which a Turkish citizen will take part.

The docking of the spacecraft with the ISS, on which Gezeravci will make its first flight into space, will take place on 19 January, at 13.15. Thus, Türkiye’s efforts in space exploration will take on a new dimension.

Going forward, the government will continue to make active efforts to achieve the goals of the National Space Program. Within this framework, the second Turkish astronaut Tuva Cihangir Atasever will go to the Moon in April.

In addition, Türkiye aims to create its own brand in the production of new generation satellites, capable of effectively competing with global companies.

Among the goals of the space program, which Türkiye intends to implement step by step, is the creation of a regional positioning and time synchronization system.

Listing the goals of the program several years ago, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Türkiye plans to “create a spaceport and secure access to outer space.”

“Another goal of the program is to increase the country’s competitiveness in space through investments in space meteorology,” Erdogan said.

Türkiye will improve the efficiency of its astronomical observations and tracking of space objects from Earth.

Erdogan stressed that within the framework of the program, Türkiye will further develop “the economic system of its space industry.”

The President also said that a space technology development zone will be created in the country, which will attract domestic and foreign investors.

Now, Türkiye is preparing for another significant milestone as the country plans to launch its first domestic communications satellite, Turksat 6A. Its launch is scheduled for the second quarter of 2024.

Thus, Türkiye is taking confident steps towards its goal of increasing revenues from the commercial use of space, which have already reached $600 billion and up to $1 trillion.