Bengisu Ece Bakırdere wins gold medals in India's space program

Bengisu Ece Bakırdere, an 18-year-old student from Galatasaray High School, has been awarded two gold medals for her contributions to the Mission ShaktiSat space exploration program in New Delhi, India.

Supported by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the program involved approximately 12,000 female students from 108 countries. Bakırdere was the sole representative from Turkey, having successfully passed interviews and training to participate in the design of two satellites intended for the Moon and low Earth orbit.

Bakırdere, who was the top scorer in Turkey's 2022 LGS exam, expressed her ambition to study chemistry and eventually win a Nobel Prize for her country.