The international aerospace and technology festival TEKNOFEST, organised on the initiative of Türkiye’s Ministry of Industry and Technology and the Turkish Technology Team Foundation (T3), with Anadolu Agency as global communications partner, continued to welcome visitors on its second day at Istanbul’s Atatürk Airport.
Considered the world’s largest aerospace, space and technology event, the festival features everything from technology competitions to air shows and brings together figures from many countries. Stressing that TEKNOFEST Istanbul is an excellent, well-organised event, Robinson praised Türkiye’s efforts to open a new era in space research and technology development. Having served at NASA for many years, he said: “Space research is an amazing endeavour that inspires future generations to solve complex problems and create technologies used not only in space but also on Earth.” Noting that space research improves well-being and quality of life, he hoped it would continue to encourage young people to take part in space research and other initiatives.
Expressing excitement about the future of space exploration, Robinson added: “We are now in the second golden age of space research. The first was in the late 1960s, when humans walked on the Moon. Since then we have seen an unprecedented revival. The field has widened, more companies are investing and NASA has big plans. NASA is designing the architecture to send humans not just for a few days but for long stays on the Moon, and then to Mars. So this is a very exciting time for space research.”
On the impact of artificial intelligence, he said: “We will use AI in every industry. In space research especially, it will be very useful for predicting the condition of spacecraft and the state of humans. Investment in this area continues rapidly, and the technology will be widely used in space research.”
Referring to Türkiye’s first space flight with Alper Gezeravcı, the country’s first astronaut, Robinson said meeting the Axiom team he was part of in the US was very exciting and that he wholeheartedly supports them. Noting that 53 countries have now reached space and that he was glad to see Türkiye join them, he added: “I hope this growth continues and that we see more Turkish astronauts in the future.”
Robinson described being with young people at TEKNOFEST as “a very valuable experience” and advised those interested in space: “Always dream big and believe in your abilities. Before doing anything, we must imagine it. Today we have big programmes ahead and we want young people to be part of them, using their valuable ideas and talents to solve complex problems such as travelling to the Moon and Mars. The people of Türkiye are very smart, and we are excited to work with them on these challenges. We hope they will be great partners for us in the future, not only on Earth but also in space.”
