Tuva Cihangir Atasever (b. August 12, 1992, Ankara), is a Turkish electrical-electronics engineer and Türkiye's second astronaut to go into space. On June 8, 2024, he completed his space mission with a suborbital research flight conducted by Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity spacecraft, thus earning the title of the second person from Türkiye to go to space. Throughout his engineering career, Atasever has worked on defense and space projects, serving as an engineer at ROKETSAN before being selected for the Turkish Space Agency's astronaut program in 2022, and has also founded several technology ventures.

^{Tuva Cihangir Atasever (Axiom Space)}

Education and Higher Education

After his primary and secondary education, Tuva C. Atasever received his bachelor's degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering at Bilkent University and graduated in 2014. After his undergraduate studies, he went to the United States and completed his master's degree in photonics at the University of California, Irvine in 2016. Due to his interest in space sciences, in 2018, he participated in the Space Studies Program organized by the International Space University (ISU) in collaboration with Delft University of Technology and the European Space Agency ESTEC, completing the certificate program.

Entrepreneurship and Engineering Career

After his master's degree, Atasever turned to technology entrepreneurship, becoming a co-founder of two startup companies. In his Blue Dot VR venture, founded in 2016, he served as CEO, designing interactive experiences using virtual reality (VR) technology to help users develop empathy for social and environmental issues. In 2017, he joined HyperSight Inc., an augmented reality (AR)-focused company, as a co-founder; within this venture, he worked on developing next-generation AR applications.

Following his experience with technology ventures, Atasever transitioned to the defense and space industry, starting work at ROKETSAN Inc. as an avionics systems engineer. In this role, he was responsible for the avionics subsystems of the Micro Satellite Launch Vehicle (MUFA) and Space Probe Rocket (USR) projects. During his nearly five-year career at ROKETSAN, particularly on the Space Probe Rocket project, he served as payload integration manager, overseeing the selection of scientific and commercial payloads, the determination of their technical requirements, and their integration into the launch vehicle. These roles allowed him to make technical contributions in the field of space technologies and launch systems.

Astronaut Selection and Space Mission

As part of Türkiye's first astronaut program, Atasever applied to the astronaut selection process initiated by the Turkish Space Agency (TUA) in May 2022, successfully passed multi-stage eliminations, and was selected as one of Türkiye's first two astronauts. In an announcement made by the President at the TEKNOFEST event held in Istanbul on April 29, 2023, it was revealed that Atasever was introduced to the public as a backup astronaut (second astronaut), alongside Alper Gezeravcı, who was selected for the primary mission. In the period following his selection, Atasever participated in a comprehensive astronaut training program organized by Axiom Space, receiving training on fundamental astronaut skills, life support systems, payload operations, and survival techniques. He also took part in international astronaut training conducted at SpaceX and NASA facilities.

Atasever was included in the crew as a backup mission specialist for the commercial space flight to the International Space Station, named Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3). This mission was part of the historic visit to the ISS by Türkiye's first astronaut, Alper Gezeravcı, during the 2023–24 period. As a backup astronaut, Atasever, who was training and preparing for the Ax-3 mission, focused on the alternative space flight planned for him once the primary crew successfully completed their mission. As per the agreement between TUA and Axiom Space, following the Ax-3 mission, Atasever was provided with the opportunity for a suborbital space flight as part of the Turkish Space Science Mission.

On June 8, 2024, Tuva C. Atasever participated in a suborbital research flight named Galactic 07, conducted by Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity spacecraft. The flight began from the Spaceport America facility in New Mexico, USA, with the carrier aircraft and VSS Unity spacecraft taking off at 17:30 Turkish time. During the approximately 1 hour and 10 minute flight, VSS Unity ascended to an altitude of 14 km with the carrier aircraft, then ignited its rocket engine, reaching an altitude of approximately 90 kilometers. This altitude is a suborbital flight height close to the space boundary, officially making Atasever the second Turkish citizen to go into space.

^{Virgin Galactic #Galactic07 Recap (Virgin Galactic)}

At the peak of the flight, with the shutdown of the rocket engine, a period of approximately 3 minutes of microgravity (weightlessness) was experienced. Atasever conducted seven different scientific experiments in this short-duration microgravity environment. The experiments conducted by Atasever during the suborbital flight were multidisciplinary studies on the effects of the space environment on human biology and materials. Specifically, experiments such as measuring fluid distribution in the astronaut's body and intracranial pressure changes, real-time monitoring of space radiation exposure, and testing the feasibility of insulin injection in microgravity were carried out integrated into the flight. For this purpose, sensors and devices were integrated into Atasever's specially designed flight suit; a near-infrared spectroscopy-based sensor to monitor circulation in the head region, a device with a dosimeter to record ionized radiation exposure on the astronaut, and mechanisms to test the administration of insulin in a depressurized environment were used. Additionally, four more separate studies on epigenetic changes, immune system responses, and metabolic effects were conducted by Turkish scientists using samples such as blood, urine, and saliva collected before and after the flight. These experimental studies aim to contribute to Türkiye's knowledge in space medicine and biology and to develop health precautions that can be applied before future long-duration space missions.

^{Astronaut 027 Tuva Atasever: Journey to Space (Virgin Galactic)}

In a statement made after this suborbital flight, Atasever emphasized that the scientific objectives of the mission were fully met, stating, “Our flight was very successful; we reached all our goals in terms of scientific experiments.” With this historic flight, Tuva Cihangir Atasever marked a significant milestone in Türkiye's space research program, providing academic and technical contributions to the country's space efforts through both his engineering background and the scientific experiments he conducted.

7 Scientific Experiments Conducted in Space

UZIKAT (Insulin Pen Test in Space)

In this experiment, conducted in collaboration with the Turkish Space Agency (TUA) and Axiom Space, two different insulin pens placed in a special box were carried into space. The dose delivery efficiency of these pens was tested in a microgravity environment. This study is considered a first step towards evaluating the effectiveness of treatment methods for individuals with diabetes in space in the future.

IvmeRad – Wearable Radiation Dosimeter

IvmeRad, developed by İVMER at Middle East Technical University (ODTÜ), was integrated into the astronaut's flight suit to measure the ionized radiation dose exposure during the mission instantly. These data will be used to understand the effects of radiation levels in the space environment on human health.

YUVA (Vesicle Analysis in Suborbital Flight)

In this experiment, conducted by Bilkent University National Nanotechnology Research Center (UNAM), extracellular vesicles in biological samples taken from the astronaut before and after the flight were analyzed. This study aims to contribute to the development of adaptation therapies that can be applied before long-duration space missions by examining the effects of the microgravity environment on cell communication.

BEACON (Brain Imaging Experiment)

In this experiment, conducted in collaboration with Harvard University and Health Sciences University, blood distribution in the prefrontal cortex region of the brain and the dynamics of cerebrospinal fluid were examined using a near-infrared spectroscopy device attached to the astronaut's head. This study provides important data for understanding the effects of the space environment on brain physiology.

MESSAGE (Molecular Genetic Analysis Experiment)

In this experiment, the effects of the microgravity environment on gene expression were investigated using biological samples taken from the astronaut. This study aims to contribute to the development of strategies for protecting human health during long-duration missions in space.

METABOLOM (Metabolic Profile Analysis)

The astronaut's metabolic profile was analyzed through biological samples taken before and after the flight. This experiment provides important information for understanding the effects of the microgravity environment on human metabolism.

MYELOID (Immune System Cell Analysis)

In this experiment, the effects of the microgravity environment on the astronaut's immune system cells were examined. This study provides important data for understanding how the immune system functions change in space and for anticipating potential health risks.

^{What Will Tuva Cihangir Atasever Do in Space? (TÜBİTAK Science Youth)}