The Hazar Rocket Team, which has won first place in the TEKNOFEST Rocket Competitions for two consecutive years, has completed preparations for the TÜRKSAT Model Satellite Competition, Challenging Mission Rocket Competition, and Medium-Altitude Rocket Competition, all of which will be held for the first time during TEKNOFEST 2021. During their launch event, the team members of Pamukkale University Hazar Rocket Team introduced their rockets, Askon-X and DSO-3000, and shared the improvements made on the rockets with the guests.
The launch event was held at the Pamukkale Technopark Management A.Ş. Conference Hall, with the participation of Prof. Dr. Kadir Kavaklıoğlu, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at Pamukkale University, Mesut Aydınlı, Deputy General Manager of Pamukkale Technopark, Müjdat Keçeci, President of Denizli Chamber of Industry (DSO), Prof. Dr. Cemal Meran and Research Assistant İnan Ağır, Academic Advisors of the Hazar Rocket Team, faculty members, representatives of supporting companies, Hazar Team Members, and invited guests.
The first speech of the event was delivered by Prof. Dr. Cemal Meran, the Academic Advisor of the Hazar Rocket Team, who emphasized their belief in a strong future where the sky holds the key. He summarized the team's founding process and mentioned that they began their preparations with the 15-member Hazar Rocket Team in February, ahead of the TEKNOFEST 2021 competition. After completing their reports, they successfully conducted trial launches. Prof. Dr. Meran highlighted that all systems were original and emphasized the interdisciplinary approach adopted this year, with students from Electrical-Electronics Engineering and Chemical Engineering joining the team. He expressed gratitude to Prof. Dr. Ahmet Kutluhan, Rector of Pamukkale University, and the university’s management, Pamukkale Technopark, Denizli Chamber of Industry (DSO), MAKSİAD, Askon Demir Çelik A.Ş., and Prizma Mekanik A.Ş. for their unwavering support. He congratulated the Hazar Rocket Team members for their dedication and wished them success in the shooting competitions in Aksaray on September 8.
Murat Özdemir, Deputy General Manager of Askon Demir Çelik A.Ş., the main sponsor of the Hazar Rocket Team, expressed his pride and satisfaction in supporting the team and emphasized their commitment to putting knowledge at the center of life. He wished the Hazar Rocket Team success in the TEKNOFEST 2021 Rocket Competitions.
In his speech on behalf of Denizli Chamber of Industry (DSO), Müjdat Keçeci, President of DSO, underlined that the work done in the field of space technologies is one of the greatest indicators of the transformation of Turkish society into a technology-producing one. He emphasized the importance of increasing the variety and quantity of high-tech products exported to foreign markets. He expressed optimism for future generations who will work in space technologies and encouraged the Hazar Rocket Team members not to view their achievements as the final goal but to continue working with the same determination.
Güllü Gürsoy, Mechanical Engineer and representative of Prizma Mekanik A.Ş., a supporter of the team, expressed her admiration for the team’s spirit and success and conveyed her pleasure in being part of such a project for Denizli, Pamukkale University, and the youth. She wished the Hazar Rocket Team success in the competitions.
In his speech on behalf of Pamukkale Technopark, Mesut Aydınlı, Deputy General Manager, reminded everyone that the work in space technologies contributes to the hopeful future of the country. He emphasized the support for high-value-added products generated through R&D activities at Technopark. Aydınlı also thanked the organizations and companies that supported the Hazar Rocket Team and wished the team success in the competitions.
Following the speeches, Mehmet Serhat Duras, Captain of the Hazar Rocket Team, presented the technical details and development process of the newly developed rockets, Askon-X and DSO-3000. Duras highlighted that the design, software, and subsystems of the rockets were entirely created by the team and explained that their work focused on ensuring that the rockets could reach a certain altitude, release the payload at a specific weight, and return safely.
Prof. Dr. Ahmet Kutluhan, Rector of Pamukkale University, wished the Hazar Rocket Team success in the upcoming competitions. He emphasized the importance of university-industry cooperation in contributing to Turkey’s goals and ongoing projects. He praised the Hazar Rocket Team for their achievements, which reflect the engineering potential of the country. He added that the rockets developed by the team are a testament to the engineering capabilities of Pamukkale University and that the university would continue supporting the team in the future. He expressed his belief that the team would achieve success in the competitions and thanked the professional chambers and companies that supported the project.
