On January 18, 2024, SpaceX catapulted a Falcon 9 rocket, crowned with its Crew Dragon capsule, into the ether from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Axiom Mission Three (Ax-3) embarks with an all-European crew, spotlighting Turkey’s first astronaut, signaling an increasing tilt by nations towards the private sector for their celestial aspirations. As our stars keep drawing curious eyes, folks are looking beyond the governments to private players for their extraterrestrial adventures (Chandan Khanna / AFP).
In a move bridging space ambitions with earthly politics, Turkey has set its sights on building a spaceport in Somalia, reported by the news outlet Sabah—a clear nod from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. For those keeping tabs on the game, President Erdoğan dropped the news at a Friday meeting with his Justice and Development Party’s bigwigs. He hailed it as a significant leap on Turkey’s ambition chart to strewn stars.
Why Somalia, you ask? Its snug location near the equator makes it a primo choice for rocket launches—all about getting more bang for your buck with reduced fuel and beefier payloads. Somalia stands shoulder to shoulder with other launch spots like Kazakhstan’s Baikonur and NASA’s and SpaceX’s turf in Florida. The spaceport plan rides on a maritime deal Turkey has with Somalia, hinting at blooming relations between them—some say steady vibes, some call it strategic waltzing.
Back home, Turkey’s had its missile mojo on display at Sinop, but its limited setup pushed the strategy to hunt for a larger, more secluded base. Sending its maiden astronaut, Alper Gezeravcı, to the International Space Station earlier this year has already splashed neon light on Turkey’s space game, inching it closer to the stars with each stride.
This audacious space adventure takes flight against backdrops not fully twinkling—Turkey’s domestic scene is grappling with economic speed bumps. With inflation hitting high notes and currency values doing a dance, some whisper that the money might do better fixing up home woes. The critics, sharp-eyed and wary, are raising eyebrows and questions, like: Is now the right time to fuel space dreams while we’ve got earthly matters to tackle? Yet, as some would attest, it’s a measure of where priorities float even amidst terrestrial tumults.
Such daring moves keep the discussion alive—how nations navigate and balance the starry missions with ground realities is an orchestration unfolding, a dance with both the moon and the mundane.
Edited by: Ali Musa
alimusa@axadletimes.com
Axadle international–Monitoring
