Astronauts from Turkey, Italy, and Sweden successfully completed a private three-week mission to the International Space Station. The trio, along with a retired NASA astronaut, returned in a SpaceX capsule that landed in the Atlantic off the coast of Florida. This mission was organized by Axiom Space, a Houston-based company.
The crew included Alper Gezeravci, a former fighter pilot and captain for Turkish Airlines, who became the first person from Turkey to fly in space. Alongside him were Italian Air Force Col. Walter Villadei, Sweden’s Marcus Wandt, and Michael Lopez-Alegria, their escort.
Turkey, Italy, and Sweden financed the mission, contributing approximately $55 million each. This was Axiom’s third private mission to the space station, with plans for a fourth later this year.
Before departing the space station, Gezeravci expressed gratitude for his country’s decision to send a citizen into space as part of its 100th-anniversary celebrations as a republic. During their time in orbit, the astronauts conducted scientific experiments and engaged with schoolchildren and officials from their respective countries. They also waited a few extra days at the space station for improved weather conditions in the splashdown zone.
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