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.
Serbia's Aleksandar Vucic conceded defeat to the student-led protest movement in parliamentary elections on Su...
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has returned to the South American nation almost a year after she secretly left the countr...
Uzbekistan summoned Iran’s ambassador following claims by several Iranian diplomatic missions that the historical and architectural heri...
Around 11,000 people joined a demonstration in Orléans on Saturday against the National Rally congress, according to the local prefecture.
Typhoon Champi swept past Taiwan on Saturday, leaving one person dead and more than 500 injured as strong winds and torrential rain brought down trees, cut power and disrupted transport across the island.
French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday described a deadly shooting in the towns of Trappes and La Verrière, west of Paris, as a racist attack and ‘a turning point’ for the country.
Israeli forces have maintained a tight closure on Hebron in the occupied West Bank for a second day, with Palestinian media reporting home raids, mass detentions and dozens of residents forced outside following a shooting incident the day before.
German police have detained a suspect after a major fire broke out at the historic Kehlsteinhaus, known as the “Eagle’s Nest”, a mountain retreat once used by senior Nazi officials, including Adolf Hitler.
Thousands of Israelis rallied in Tel Aviv on Saturday demanding an independent commission of inquiry into the failures surrounding the 7 October 2023 Hamas-led attack, three days before a national election.
Saudi Arabia religious leaders have condemned attacks targeting holy sites and civilians after authorities reported intercepting two ballistic missiles launched towards the Mecca and Medina regions, while Yemen’s Houthi movement denied targeting the two cities.
Uzbekistan summoned Iran’s ambassador following claims by several Iranian diplomatic missions that the historical and architectural heritage of Samarkand belongs to Persian or Iranian-Islamic civilisation, Tashkent's Foreign Ministry said.
Israeli forces have maintained a tight closure on Hebron in the occupied West Bank for a second day, with Palestinian media reporting home raids, mass detentions and dozens of residents forced outside following a shooting incident the day before.
Foreign ministers meeting in Istanbul on Friday warned that renewed military strikes on Iran could deepen the regional conflict, urging diplomatic efforts to prevent further escalation.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment