Astrophysicist Umut Yıldız Leaves NASA For Türkiye

Astrophysicist Umut Yıldız has terminated his indefinite contract with NASA and relocated to Türkiye, joining Plan-S company in Ankara. With a decade-long tenure at NASA’s ‘Jet Propulsion Laboratory,’ Yıldız, now working as both an astrophysicist and space communicator, expressed his lifelong passion for space. Yıldız, who frequently visited Türkiye, shared that the decision to return was a gradual process. Emphasizing the joy of guiding young Turks toward space, he said, ‘When my mind is in Türkiye, it is an entirely different pleasure for me.’