Ankara:NASA astronaut Deniz Burnham, originally from Adana, Trkiye, is gearing up for her inaugural mission to space as she plans to travel to the International Space Station next year.

According to Anadolu Agency, Burnham is in training for Expedition 76, a long-duration mission on the orbiting laboratory. In a video shared by the US Consulate in Adana, she expressed her intention to wave to her family and the people of her birthplace from space.

Burnham will embark on her first spaceflight aboard Russia's Soyuz MS-30 spacecraft alongside cosmonauts Dmitri Petelin and Konstantin Borisov. The mission is set to launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan in March 2027, with the crew expected to remain on the space station for about seven months.

During her time aboard the space station, Burnham will serve as an Expedition 76 flight engineer, taking part in scientific investigations and technology demonstrations aimed at supporting future missions to the Moon and Mars, as well as contributing to Earth research.

Born at Incirlik Air Base in Adana, Burnham has strong familial ties to Trkiye. Her grandmother hails from Eceabat in Canakkale province, while her grandfather is from Afyonkarahisar. She attributes her interest in space to her grandfather's curiosity, recalling how he built telescopes and observed celestial bodies with her.

Selected for NASA's astronaut candidate class in 2021, Burnham began training in 2022 and graduated in 2024, qualifying for missions to the space station, the Moon, and potentially Mars. She holds degrees from the University of California, San Diego, and the University of Southern California, and has a background in the energy industry and the US Navy Reserve.

In addition to her mission preparations, Burnham praised Trkiye's recent accession to the Artemis Accords, recognizing the country's efforts in space exploration and its contributions to international cooperation through events like TEKNOFEST and the International Astronautical Congress.