Türkiye plans to launch its lunar spacecraft in the first months of 2027, equipped with a domestically developed hybrid propulsion system, Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacir said.
Kacir told reporters during the Turkish Scientific and Technological Research Institution's (TUBITAK) Sky Observation Event in the western province of Afyonkarahisar that Türkiye had finalised the launch schedule for its Moon mission.
He said the spacecraft's homegrown hybrid propulsion system had completed all testing phases and that the mission would give Türkiye technological capabilities possessed by only a handful of countries.
Building independent access to space
Kacir said space infrastructure had become a strategic pillar of Türkiye's defence capabilities, pointing to recent satellite projects including Turksat 6A, Imece, Bilsat, Rasat and Gokturk-2.
Türkiye is also working to establish independent and cost-effective access to space through the construction of its own equatorial spaceport in Somalia.
The facility is intended eventually to support launches of domestically developed satellites and spacecraft.
"We're reaching the point where these efforts will enable Türkiye to produce rockets capable of launching our own satellites into space entirely through our own means," Kacir said.
"Equatorial regions offer the opportunity to access space through more cost-effective means, taking advantage of the Earth's rotational speed," he added.
Growing space ecosystem
Kacir said the country's advances were supported by a growing domestic space ecosystem, while a planned space technopark at Middle East Technical University (METU) would bring institutions and companies together for research and development.
Türkiye is also preparing to sign international cooperation agreements to develop and manufacture components for new space stations and is seeking to participate in additional crewed space science missions, he said.
The developments come as the southwestern province of Antalya prepares to host the 77th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) from October 5-9, with around 10,000 participants expected from more than 100 countries.
Kacir said the congress had already broken previous records for pre-registration and paper submissions and was expected to become one of the largest scientific gatherings ever held in Türkiye.
The congress will include a section dedicated to next-generation space startups, while a meeting of parliamentarians and government representatives is expected to culminate in the Antalya Declaration, which will emphasise peace, security and stability amid global geopolitical divisions.
