Space Camp Turkey uses space and space technology with the aim to motivate and educate children aged 9-15 in the fields of astronomy and science. Through simulations, it improves youth self-confidence, teamwork and communication skills. Most importantly, Space Camp Turkey aims to foster global friendship through space education.

It is located in the Aegean Free Zone, a high-tech industrial park in Gaziemir

Gaziemir

Gaziemir is a district of İzmir Province in the Aegean region of Turkey. It is one of the metropolitan districts of Greater İzmir and is situated to the south of central İzmir on the road to İzmir...

 metropolitan district of Izmir

Izmir

Izmir is a large metropolis in the western extremity of Anatolia. The metropolitan area in the entire Izmir Province had a population of 3.35 million as of 2010, making the city third most populous in Turkey...

, Turkey

Turkey

Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...

, operated by ESBAS the Aegean Free Zone Development and Operating Company. Izmir is a vibrant Mediterranean city on the western coast of Turkey with a population of over 3 million people. The camp is five minutes away from the International Adnan Menderes Airport

Adnan Menderes Airport

İzmir Adnan Menderes International Airport is an airport serving İzmir and is named after former Turkish prime minister Adnan Menderes. It is located in the Gaziemir area of İzmir....

, 15 minutes from the city center and one hour from world famous attractions such as Ephesus

Ephesus

Ephesus was an ancient Greek city, and later a major Roman city, on the west coast of Asia Minor, near present-day Selçuk, Izmir Province, Turkey. It was one of the twelve cities of the Ionian League during the Classical Greek era...

, the House of Virgin Mary and the Church of St-John The Apostle.

Space Camp Turkey is one of five space camps in the world and one of two in Asia. It is affiliated with the United States Space & Rocket Center

United States Space & Rocket Center

The U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama is a museum showcasing rockets, achievements, and artifacts of the U.S. space program. The facility is also home to United States Space Camp and Aviation Challenge...

 in Huntsville, Alabama

Huntsville, Alabama

Huntsville is a city located primarily in Madison County in the central part of the far northern region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Huntsville is the county seat of Madison County. The city extends west into neighboring Limestone County. Huntsville's population was 180,105 as of the 2010 Census....

.

Mr.Kaya Tuncer, president of ESBAS, decided to establish a Space Camp in Turkey after visiting Huntsville with his Turkish

Turkey

Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...

 friend Ismail Akbay

Ismail Akbay

Ismail Akbay was the first Turk who worked for NASA. He was born in Mudanya near Bursa, Turkey on October 17, 1930. Early on, Akbay was recognized as a gifted child with exceptional mental aptitude. He graduated from Bursa Erkek Lisesi and Haydarpaşa Lisesi before choosing to move to the United...

, an Apollo Project Engineer who worked for Dr. Wernher von Braun

Wernher von Braun

Wernher Magnus Maximilian, Freiherr von Braun was a German rocket scientist, aerospace engineer, space architect, and one of the leading figures in the development of rocket technology in Nazi Germany during World War II and in the United States after that.A former member of the Nazi party,...

. Space Camp Turkey opened on 12 June 2000. American astronaut Scott Carpenter

Scott Carpenter

Malcolm Scott Carpenter is an American engineer, former test pilot, astronaut, and aquanaut. He is best known as one of the original seven astronauts selected for NASA's Project Mercury in April 1959....

 and Ismail Akbay were honored guests at the ceremony.

Space Camp Turkey has hosted over 65,000 children and adults from 40 countries and developed space science-related programs that consist of 2-Day Outer Space Adventure during the school year, 5-Day Space Camp and 5-Day Space Camp with Robotics during semester breaks, and 6-Day/10-Day International Summer Camps.

International credentials

Space Camp Turkey is recognized as a science institution by the Turkish Ministry of Education. It is also licensed with the Alabama Space Science Exhibit Commission, the governing body of the U.S. Space and Rocket Center. Space Camp Turkey is a member of the following school organizations:

• Near East South Asia Council of Overseas Schools (NESA)
• Central and Eastern European Schools Association (CEESA)
• European Council of International Schools
  European Council of International Schools
  The European Council of International Schools - ECIS is an association of international schools founded in 1965. ECIS is a collaborative network promoting the ideals and best practice of international education....
  
   (ECIS)
• East Asia Regional Council of Overseas Schools
  East Asia Regional Council of Overseas Schools
  The East Asia Regional Council of Overseas Schools is an association of some 100 international schools in East Asia which use English as the primary medium of instruction. Its members have over 53,000 students from pre-kindergarten to grade 12. EARCOS also has associate members including...
  
  (EARCOS)