Türkiye's lunar spacecraft, equipped with a domestically developed hybrid propulsion system, will be launched into space in the first months of 2027, Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacır announced. The launch schedule for the Moon mission has been finalized, and the propulsion system has completed all testing phases.
Kacır said the mission would provide Türkiye with technological capabilities possessed by only a handful of countries. He emphasized that space and space technologies form strategic infrastructure for critical areas such as the defense industry.
Türkiye has already developed satellite technologies including BİLSAT, RASAT, GÖKTÜRK-2, Türksat 6A, and İMECE. For rocket and missile technologies, ROKETSAN, TÜBİTAK SAGE, and Delta V are working on related projects.
To achieve independent and cost-effective access to space, Türkiye is building its own spaceport in Somalia. Kacır explained, "Equatorial regions offer the opportunity to access space through more cost-effective means, taking advantage of the Earth's rotational speed."
A space technopark will be established at Middle East Technical University (METU) to serve as an R&D hub for the space ecosystem. Türkiye is also preparing to participate in new international space stations by developing and manufacturing technology components.
IAC 2026 in Antalya
The 77th International Astronautical Congress (IAC 2026) will be held in Antalya, Türkiye, from October 5 to 9. The event is expected to host over 10,000 participants from more than 100 countries and has already broken records in pre-registration statistics and scientific paper submissions.
According to Kacır, the congress will feature a section dedicated to next-generation space technology startups. He also said that a meeting of parliamentarians and government representatives will produce the "Antalya Declaration," which he proposed to the International Astronautical Federation. The declaration aims to include messages of peace, security, and stability.
