NASA astronaut Deniz Burnham prepares for first ISS mission

NASA astronaut Deniz Burnham is preparing for her first space mission, a seven-month assignment aboard the International Space Station (ISS) as part of Expedition 76. Scheduled for March 2027, the mission is expected to launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan aboard a Russian Soyuz MS-30 spacecraft alongside cosmonauts Dmitri Petelin and Konstantin Borisov.

Burnham, who was born at Incirlik Air Base in Adana, Turkey, shared personal reflections on her heritage and family ties. She noted that her grandfather’s interest in astronomy influenced her career path and expressed her intention to wave to her family and fellow residents of Adana from space. Burnham also highlighted Turkey’s recent role as the 71st signatory of the Artemis Accords, noting the country's growing contributions to space exploration and its developing national space program.