History Of Space Camp Türkiye

In the 1950s, Dr. Werner Von Braun and his team of German rocket scientists relocated to the United States to contribute their expertise to the U.S. Military in Huntsville, Alabama. Tasked with designing, constructing, and testing various rockets, Von Braun harbored a lifelong dream of utilizing space exploration for peaceful purposes. This dream materialized in Huntsville with the establishment of NASA and the Marshall Spaceflight Center at the Redstone Army Outpost. In 1961, Von Braun's team successfully launched the first American astronaut into space, Alan Shepard, using one of their Mercury Redstone Rockets. Later in his career, he gained renown as the Chief Engineer of the Saturn V rocket, instrumental in landing Apollo astronauts on the Moon in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Having fulfilled his dream during the Apollo Program, Dr. Von Braun, in the late 1970s, strolled through Rocket Park at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Inspired by the rockets, he contemplated the idea of sparking young minds about math and science through camps. This contemplation led to the realization of Space Camp in 1982 in Huntsville, Alabama, where 800 campers graduated that first summer.

The vision of establishing a space camp in Türkiye emerged during a conference where Kaya Tuncer met Ismail Akbay. Akbay, a Turkish-born scientist with a significant history at NASA, expressed his desire to see a Space Camp in Türkiye. Tuncer, inspired by this idea, decided to make it a reality, considering it a fitting addition to the new Aegean Free Zone. On June 12, 2000, Space Camp Türkiye was inaugurated, with guests of honor including NASA astronaut Scott Carpenter and Ismail Akbay himself.

Space Camp Türkiye, catering to youngsters aged 9 to 15, prepares them for potential careers as engineers, astronauts, scientists, and educators. The camp fosters a passion for higher scholastic achievements in math and science through hands-on shuttle mission training, authentic astronaut simulations, lessons on the space programs history, and space-related computer projects. Today, Space Camp Türkiye offers not only Türkiye's youth but also students from around the world an unforgettable educational experience in a dynamic and enjoyable atmosphere, joining the ranks of the original Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama.