Turkey plans to send its first astronaut on mission by 2020.

ITAR-TASS ^ | 11/11/05

[KevinDavis]

ANKARA, November 11 (Itar-Tass) -- Turkey plans to send its first astronaut on mission by the year 2020. An agreement to the effect was signed between the U.S. Department of Defense and the Turkish Air Force in Ankara on Thursday, Radio Turkey said.

NASA would assist the training and give technological support in joint aerospace projects with Turkey. The training of Turkish astronauts will start in 2008. When the studies are complete in 2015, the future astronauts will take a NASA exam and one of them would go on mission under the U.S. space program.

[KevinDavis]

I welcome Turkey into space. I have a feeling that Iraq will be sending some astronauts too...

[KevinDavis]

[fat city]

If Turkey doesn't get the stuffing beat out of them by the Chinese, the trip should be gravy.

[Willie Green]

I welcome Turkey into space.

Thank-you, Kevin.
It's nice being here.

[phantomworker]

I welcome Turkey into space. I have a feeling that Iraq will be sending some astronauts too...

Say it ain't so! ROFL

[LibWhacker]

Oh, great... Suicide bombers in space. j/k

[USF]

The Bin Sauds sent one of their own up with NASAs help back in 1985: Sultan Salman Abdulaziz Al-Saud.

On a serious note tho... if any one can figure out how a Muslim is supposed to do its multiple daily prayers facing Mecca during much of their time in space (ie, when they are not in geostationary orbit), please let me know. My guess is it's something along the lines of pray and spin, flip, and then spin again. It should make fascinating coverage on the Islumic TV networks.

[Merrkin]

Why do you assume the astronaut will be Muslim?

[mym]

==if any one can figure out how a Muslim is supposed to do its multiple daily prayers facing Mecca during much of their time in space (ie, when they are not in geostationary orbit), please let me know. My guess is it's something along the lines of pray and spin, flip, and then spin again.==

LOL!
IMO they don't need pray since they are so close to Allah.

[Southside_Chicago_Republican]

[USF]

1. I was asking about Muslim astronauts in general

2. If I did have to make a bet on Turkey, an Islumic nation, being something like 99.8% Muslim 'n all, I would stick my money on Muslim, and especially if they draw a candidate from the forces.

[LibWhacker]

...being something like 99.8% Muslim 'n all...

Lol, yup... Muzzie countries tend to be like that, having killed off all the infidels.

[SunkenCiv]

2020? Will the US even have a manned space program by then? Will Turkey even have an interest in space travel by then? :')

[elcid1970]

Believe it or not, the imams actually found a solution for the Saudi astronaut, which was to simply face toward the earth for daily prayers. Furthermore, there was a French crew in the shuttle at the time. They were provided with an elaborate space cuisine, but which they emphatically kept for themselves. The Saudi prince was said to have shared with his crewmates whatever food he had brought.

[USF]

I was stirring the pot over on an islamic forum (over this) a while back, and managed to elicit some hilarious responses out of them. Most of them didn't think the old "pray 3 times during a 24 hour period" judgment was islamic enough, and considered it a dangerous slide into what would essentially be deemed "Bidah" (innovation, that has no precedent in islam). One wonders how they manage to make any progress at all at times. Oh well, I have to chuckle as the Salfi and wahhabi hypocrites who keep preaching about the dangers of bidah are happy to engage in some for themselves. I guess if they didn't, "true believers" who many choose to reside above the arctic circle would starve to death during ramadan...

[USF]

I don't know about you SunkenCiv, but I for one, welcome our newest competitors in the space race! ;o)

[Wiz]

Say no for Islamofascists in space.

[USF]

Heh.. yes, strange there are not more contenders from their Armenian Christian population. I wonder why...

[beef]

"if any one can figure out how a Muslim is supposed to do its multiple daily prayers facing Mecca during much of their time in space"

easy, alt-az prayer mat. That contract should be worth a few million.

[USF]

Come up with a prayer mat mounted in a device that can rotate them upside down (in a spherical cage perhaps) and you may be onto something.

Now to ponder about what to use as a standard time when they are staring out the window at multiple sunrises and sunsets... or eventually (one may assume) lose sight of the earth, or even sun, all together. I still think fasting during ramadan is going to be hell, but I'm sure they'll pay extra for the salat-alarm and the ever useful iftar-alert attachment.