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Türkiye's First Astronaut Blasts Off to ISS on Wednesday

Alper Gezeravci will become Türkiye's first astronaut when he blasts off for the ISS - AFP
Alper Gezeravci will become Türkiye's first astronaut when he blasts off for the ISS - AFP
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Türkiye's First Astronaut Blasts Off to ISS on Wednesday

Alper Gezeravci will become Türkiye's first astronaut when he blasts off for the ISS - AFP
Alper Gezeravci will become Türkiye's first astronaut when he blasts off for the ISS - AFP

When Türkiye's first astronaut blasts off for the International Space Station (ISS) this week.

Alper Gezeravci, a 43-year-old fighter pilot and colonel in Türkiye's air force, is due to take off on Wednesday from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida for a two-week mission.

He will be joining Swedish, Italian and Spanish astronauts aboard a shuttle provided by the private Axiom Space company, which will be conducting its third flight under a partnership with NASA, AFP reported.

The Turkish president presented Gezeravci to the Turkish public in the runup to his re-election last year, calling the 21-year air force veteran a "heroic Turkish pilot".

"We see it as a new symbol of the growing, stronger and assertive Türkiye," Erdogan said about the space mission on Tuesday.

Marc Pierini, a former diplomat and senior researcher at Carnegie Europe, said Gezeravci's flight illustrates "Turkish excellence in the aerospace field", which includes the creation of a world-leading combat drone company.

"It doesn't have anything to do with Türkiye's ability to be an actor that could influence the global political agenda," Pierini said.

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Virginia Zoo Welcomes Newborn Pygmy Hippopotamus as Year Ends

This photo provided by the Metro Richmond Zoo, shows a pygmy hippo on Dec. 23, 2024, in Moseley, Va. (Metro Richmond Zoo via AP)
This photo provided by the Metro Richmond Zoo, shows a pygmy hippo on Dec. 23, 2024, in Moseley, Va. (Metro Richmond Zoo via AP)
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Virginia Zoo Welcomes Newborn Pygmy Hippopotamus as Year Ends

This photo provided by the Metro Richmond Zoo, shows a pygmy hippo on Dec. 23, 2024, in Moseley, Va. (Metro Richmond Zoo via AP)
This photo provided by the Metro Richmond Zoo, shows a pygmy hippo on Dec. 23, 2024, in Moseley, Va. (Metro Richmond Zoo via AP)

A female pygmy hippopotamus delivered a healthy calf at the Metro Richmond Zoo earlier this month, officials said — the third baby hippo born at the zoo within the past five years.
The mother Iris gave birth to the female calf on Dec. 9 following a seven-month gestation, zoo officials said. The newborn, who has yet to be named, is the third calf for Iris and the father, Corwin. She was also the second calf to be born in December, according to the zoo.
“Most people don’t get a hippopotamus for Christmas at all, so we feel lucky to have received two over the years,” zoo officials said in a news release Tuesday.
Five days after her birth, the baby had a neonatal exam and weighed 15 pounds (6.8 kilograms). Officials said that fully grown pygmy hippos can weigh up to 600 pounds (270 kilograms).
According to the Richmond-area zoo, pygmy hippos are an endangered West African species, and only 2,500 mature hippos remain in the wild. Officials said pygmy hippos are distinctive from regular hippos because they do not live in groups and are usually solitary or in pairs.
“For this reason, once Iris’ two previous calves grew up, they were moved to other zoological facilities to live with future mates and continue contributing to the conservation of their species,” the news release said.