Turkish scientist sends invention into space with star-studded female crew
ISTANBUL
Turkish scientist Canan Dağdeviren has made history by sending her pioneering wearable ultrasound device into space, joining an all-female, star-studded crew aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket on April 14.
Dağdeviren, a physicist and associate professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), has spent years developing a wearable electronic bra designed to detect breast cancer at early stages through continuous ultrasound scanning.
The innovation was inspired by the loss of her aunt, who died six months after being diagnosed with late-stage breast cancer despite regular checkups.
The device soared to the edge of space with Blue Origin’s all-women crew, a first in U.S. space history. The flight was led by Lauren Sanchez, journalist and fiancee of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who accompanied the crew to the launch pad.
Sharing the moment on social media, Dağdeviren wrote, “Let this be recordes in history; Today, April 14, 2025, as someone who was educated in the equal-opportunity system of Atatürk’s Republic, I have sent the wearable ultrasound device I began working on years ago into space — alongside the first female space crew in history.”
She added that the journey is just the beginning. “The Republic was the guardian of those who had no one. I dedicate our invention to all the lives silenced by injustice and cruelty — you are not alone. Your struggle will continue to shine and guide us like stars.”
“Indeed, ‘the future is in the skies,’” she said, famously quoting the modern Türkiye founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.
Dağdeviren was named one of the BBC’s 100 Women List of inspirational and influential women in 2023.
The mission, meanwhile, offered a few minutes of weightlessness before safely returning to Earth.
The celebrity passengers included pop star Katy Perry, veteran broadcaster Gayle King, former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, human rights activist and scientist Amanda Nguyen and filmmaker Keianne Flynn.
Launching from West Texas, the New Shepard rocket reached an altitude of approximately 107 kilometers briefly crossing the boundary of space.
This was Blue Origin’s 11th human spaceflight and the first to feature an all-female passenger manifest, drawing comparisons to Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova, who became the first woman in space in 1963 — alone aboard her spacecraft for three days.
While the recent journey was shorter in duration — lasting around 11 minutes — it carried profound significance. For Dağdeviren, it symbolized not only scientific progress but the perseverance of women in STEM and the enduring legacy of Türkiye in fostering opportunity through education.
