Türkiye has completed production of its first lunar spacecraft, with the probe now undergoing tests ahead of a planned launch in early 2027.
The 3.5-metric-ton spacecraft is currently housed at a Turkish Aerospace Industries facility, where it is undergoing environmental testing, Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacır said this week.
Engineers will assess whether the craft can withstand the vibrations and stresses of launch, as well as the extreme conditions it is expected to encounter in space.
It will then undergo a final inspection in a cleanroom operated by TÜBİTAK Space, Türkiye’s national space researchcentre.
The spacecraft is scheduled to launch from Florida’s Kennedy Space Centre in early 2027, although officials have yet to announce a specific date.
Its journey to the Moon is expected to take roughly two months. Once there, the craft is expected to enter a polar orbit about 100 kilometres above the lunar surface.
Its scientific mission will last three months, although operations could be extended for up to 18 months.
While in orbit, onboard instruments will examine solar winds, magnetic fields, surface radiation and various processes associated with water formation.
According to Kacır, approximately 80 per cent of the spacecraft was produced domestically.
It incorporates flight, communications and power systems developed for Türkiye’s İMECE Earth-observation satellite and Türksat 6A, the country’s first locally built communications satellite.
The craft also features a Turkish-developed hybrid propulsion system, which will be used at the end of the primary mission to attempt a controlled deceleration and descent towards the lunar surface.
Kacır said the project reflects Türkiye’s push for greater independence in critical technologies, drawing a comparison with the ongoing expansion of the country’s domestic defence industry.
If the mission succeeds, he added, Türkiye will become the ninth country to carry out a lunar mission.
Türkiye recently joined the U.S.-led Artemis Accords, a non-binding framework that sets out principles for peaceful civil exploration of the Moon and deep space.
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