Turkey Plans to Send Its First Spacecraft to the Moon in 2027

Turkey plans to send its first spacecraft to the Moon in the early months of 2027. This was announced on August 13 by Mehmet Fatih Kacır, the country’s minister of industry and technology.

According to the minister, the National Technology Initiative program places the space sector in an important position. He noted that space and related technologies are strategically important not only for science but also for the defense industry.

In recent years, Turkey has strengthened its space technology capabilities by implementing satellite projects such as BİLSAT, RASAT, GÖKTÜRK-2, Türksat 6A and İMECE.

Kacır said that Turkish engineers and scientists are currently working on developing the country’s own lunar spacecraft. The vehicle will be equipped with a locally developed hybrid rocket engine, and all key tests planned for its flight have been successfully completed.

The minister said Turkey views the ability to independently access space as a strategic goal and noted that work on developing rocket technologies is continuing.

The country also plans to continue crewed space missions in the future, participate as a technological partner in new international space station projects and expand international cooperation.