Türkiye to undertake two-stage space mission: Minister
ANTALYA
The two-stage moon mission that Türkiye intends to carry out using spacecraft that were built and developed domestically was revealed recently by Industry and Technology Minister Fatih Kacır.
Attending the Saklıkent Sky Observatory Event in the southern province of Antalya along with Youth and Sports Minister Osman Aşkın Bak, Minister Kacır has made an announcement regarding the country’s space mission plans.
Explaining that a national space program might be realized in the future, Kacır said that the program involves a two-stage moon mission aiming to conduct research on the moon’s surface.
In the first stage of the mission, a domestically manufactured spacecraft will be fired into space with an international launch, the minister remarked, adding that this stage is planned to be completed within the next 18 months.
The second stage will involve a rocket launch made from national grounds and the spacecraft will take part in a research mission on the lunar surface, the completion of the second stage is expected to extend to the year 2030, Kacır said.
“These goals might sound too ambitious, but our infrastructure and manpower provide us the confidence to undertake such projects,” the minister continued.
Stating that the initial tests of hybrid rocket engines which are currently in the production phase have been successfully completed, the minister said that Türkiye might pioneer the widespread use of such rocket engines, hereby opening up new commercial opportunities for the country.
