Turkey has developed its first spacecraft for a launch to the Moon

Turkey has prepared its first spacecraft to be sent to the Moon

Turkey has completed the production, assembly, and integration processes of the spacecraft designed for its first space mission to the Moon. This was announced on September 14 by the country's Minister of Industry and Technology, Mehmet Fatih Kacır.

The minister stated at a press conference that the vehicle has been sent to the space testing center of Turkish Aerospace Industries to undergo system testing. Turkey aims to become the ninth country in the world, and the first among Muslim nations, to perform a mission on the Moon with its own engineering capabilities.

The spacecraft, weighing approximately 3.5 tons, is planned to be launched in the early months of 2027. After a two-month flight, it will enter an orbit 100 kilometers above the lunar surface. The vehicle must operate for at least three months initially. Its service life may be extended up to 18 months depending on performance.

During the mission, the spacecraft will study the effects of solar winds on the lunar surface and the mechanisms of water formation. The Moon's magnetic field and thermal properties will also be analyzed. Radiation measurements will also be carried out using domestic equipment.

More than 80 percent of the spacecraft was developed using national resources and local technologies. In this process, the experience gained from Turkey's Imece and Türksat 6A satellite projects was utilized.

Now, the vehicle will undergo vacuum, thermal, and structural tests to verify its durability against harsh conditions in space. Once the testing is complete, the spacecraft will be moved to a new facility in Ankara. After final checks, it will be sent to the Kennedy Space Center in the USA for launch.