NASA has announced a new International Space Station mission with a notable connection to Türkiye. Astronaut Deniz Burnham, who was born at Incirlik Air Base in Adana, has been assigned to her first spaceflight.
According to NASA’s announcement on July 30, 2026, Burnham will serve as a flight engineer during Expedition 76 aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
The mission is expected to last approximately seven months.
Burnham Set to Launch in March 2027
Under the current mission plan, Burnham will travel to the International Space Station aboard Russia’s Soyuz MS-30 spacecraft.
The launch is targeted for March 2027 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
Burnham will fly alongside Roscosmos cosmonauts Dmitri Petelin and Konstantin Borisov. The three-member crew is expected to live and work aboard the orbital laboratory for about seven months.
The mission will mark Burnham’s first journey into space.
Deniz Burnham Was Born in Adana, Türkiye
Burnham’s connection to Türkiye comes from her birthplace.
According to NASA’s official biography, Deniz Burnham was born at Incirlik Air Base in Adana, Türkiye. She grew up in a military family and lived in several locations during her childhood.
Her background makes the mission particularly noteworthy for audiences in Türkiye as she prepares for her first flight beyond Earth.
Selected as a NASA Astronaut in 2021
Burnham was selected as a NASA astronaut candidate in December 2021 and began training at Johnson Space Center in Houston in January 2022.
She graduated as a member of NASA’s 23rd astronaut class in 2024, becoming eligible for assignments to the International Space Station and future exploration missions.
Burnham earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of California, San Diego, and a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Southern California.
Before joining NASA, she spent more than a decade working in the energy industry, including engineering roles supporting drilling operations across North America.
She has also served as an engineering officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve and holds a private pilot license.
Scientific Research During Seven-Month ISS Mission
Burnham’s stay aboard the International Space Station will include much more than living in microgravity.
NASA says she will participate in scientific investigations and technology demonstrations conducted aboard the orbiting laboratory.
Research performed on the ISS is used to study how humans and technology function during extended periods in space while also supporting scientific work with applications on Earth.
The experiments are also expected to contribute to preparations for future long-duration human exploration missions to the Moon and Mars.
With the Soyuz MS-30 launch currently targeted for March 2027, Burnham is now preparing for what will become the first spaceflight of her NASA career.
Sources
[1] NASA, NASA Assigns Astronaut Deniz Burnham to First Space Station Mission, July 30, 2026.
[2] NASA, Deniz Burnham – NASA Astronaut Biography.
