Sidd Bikkannavar, a scientist who has worked at NASA for many years, met with students at Near East College to share his experiences at NASA and discuss the development of space technologies through the Hubble and James Webb telescopes. The seminar, held during the ongoing Artemis II mission, turned into an inspiring scientific gathering for the students.

Artemis II, successfully launched on April 1, 2026, with four astronauts, brought humanity back to the Moon’s orbit after more than 50 years. In this non-landing mission, the Orion capsule orbited the Moon, used gravity to return, and is currently continuing its journey back to Earth. Sidd Bikkannavar, a scientist who has worked on space telescope programs for many years at the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), met with Near East College students during the same period.

During the seminar held at Near East College, Bikkannavar met with students and discussed the space imaging technologies developed by NASA from the past to the present, primarily focusing on the Hubble and James Webb telescopes. Bikkannavar stated that the Hubble Space Telescope, operating in Earth orbit, has revolutionized astronomy with its high-resolution images from the depths of the universe, while the James Webb Space Telescope, thanks to its infrared observation capabilities, provides access to previously unavailable data about the early stages of the universe’s formation. Explaining the development processes of these telescopes and the evolution of space observation technologies over the years in a simple and understandable language, Bikkannavar also shared examples of the engineering challenges encountered in these projects and the solutions developed to overcome them, contributing to a better understanding of the subject for the students. Near East College students, who also asked questions throughout the seminar, had an inspiring experience.

Raif Asvaroğlu: “We aim to keep our students’ curiosity alive and to train them as future scientists.”

Highlighting the impact of the event on the students, Near East College Principal Raif Asvaroğlu said, “We were delighted to host Mr. Sidd Bikkannavar, who has served for many years at NASA, one of the world’s most prestigious scientific institutions, at our school. Our students had the opportunity to meet such a distinguished scientist and gain firsthand knowledge about space technologies, and this was an extremely valuable experience that strengthened their scientific curiosity and future vision.”

Asvaroğlu emphasized that Near East College aims to equip its students with academic knowledge while also raising them to be individuals who follow global developments, embrace scientific thinking, and can have a voice in the world of the future. He added, “I believe that Mr. Bikkannavar’s shared experiences and inspiring presentation will have a long-term impact on our students. I extend my sincere thanks to Mr. Bikkannavar and everyone who contributed to making this meaningful meeting possible.”