Turkey plans to launch its first spacecraft to explore the Moon in early 2027, the Aksham newspaper reported, citing a statement by Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacer, BTA reported.
The project is part of the National Space Program and represents the country's first mission in deep space, and if the mission is successful, Turkey will become the ninth country in the world to reach the Moon, the publication specifies. According to official information, the country's lunar research program has been completed by 77 percent so far.
The newspaper reported that the spacecraft, weighing about 3.5 tons, was developed over 80 percent with local technologies and resources. The project involves nearly 2,000 engineers, researchers and technical personnel, including experts from the Turkish State Space Research Institute TÜBİTAK UZAY and the company Delta. The project draws on engineering expertise gained from previous Turkish satellite projects such as Göktürk-2, İMECE and TÜRKSAT 6A.
The newspaper presents the development of a local hybrid propulsion system, which will be used for maneuvers in orbit, as a key element of the mission. After its launch, the spacecraft will travel to the Moon for about two months, and the entire duration of the scientific mission in lunar orbit could reach a year and a half, the publication adds.
During its stay in orbit, scientific instruments are expected to make measurements of the lunar surface, its magnetic field, the radiation environment, the interaction with the solar wind and the mechanisms of water formation, the Aksham project reports.
According to the pre-launch preparation schedule, the spacecraft must undergo a series of tests at the Space Systems Integration and Testing Center of the Turkish defense industry giant TUSAŞ, including simulations of the space environment, thermal vacuum and electromagnetic compatibility. It is then planned to be transported to the Kennedy Space Center in the United States, from where the launch will take place, the newspaper states.