'I'll wave to my grandma from space': Turkish-born astronaut prepares for first mission to the ISS

Turkish-born American astronaut Deniz Burnham is preparing for an extraordinary experience aboard the International Space Station, carrying with her a personal wish: to wave from orbit to her grandparents and the residents of her hometown, Adana, Turkey, where she was born years before embarking on her scientific career.

According to the Anadolu Agency, Burnham expressed her wish in a video clip shared by the Adana Consulate, emphasizing her enduring connection to Turkey, where her grandparents still reside.

Burnham was born at Incirlik Air Base into a military family with frequent relocations. She says her grandfather, who used to build telescopes by hand, was behind her early passion for space exploration.

Before joining NASA in 2021, she spent more than a decade in the energy sector, managing drilling operations, and completed astronaut training in 2024.

Her first mission is scheduled for March 2027, aboard the Russian Soyuz MS-30 spacecraft, launching from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan alongside cosmonauts Dmitry Petelin and Konstantin Borisov.

She will spend approximately seven months as a flight engineer on Expedition 76, participating in scientific experiments and technical tests that support preparations for future missions to the Moon and Mars.