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.
U.S. President Donald Trump has called it “a disgrace” that Ukraine has resumed attacks on Russian oil refineries. Attacks are continui...
The U.S. has banned government employees working in Saudi Arabia from using airports in the country without special authorisation. It com...
France is preparing for a fresh wave of nationwide demonstrations this weekend as rising living costs, educatio...
Yemen’s Houthis have claimed responsibility for the recent drone and missile strikes on Saudi Aramco facilities in Dhahran and Riyadh and at King Khalid International Airport in Saudi Arabia, vowing to carry out more attacks in the coming days.
The Saudi-led coalition said early Thursday that it intercepted and destroyed a drone over Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province.
Ukraine's soldiers have had their access to Starlink satellite internet restricted. Kyiv's troops use the terminals, made by Elon Musk's SpaceX, to pilot drones. A source in Ukraine's Defence Ministry said the restrictions would make it harder for Kyiv's army to down Russian drones.
Ukraine is set to restart attacks on Russian oil refineries following a two-day pause, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, amid growing tensions with Washington over energy strikes and U.S. military support.
Kenya has confirmed a second case of Ebola, intensifying efforts to prevent the spread of the virus after the country recorded its first-ever infection earlier this month.
The U.S. has banned government employees working in Saudi Arabia from using airports in the country without special authorisation. It comes after a deadly Houthi strike on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport killed at least 13 people last week.
The Saudi-led coalition said early Thursday that it intercepted and destroyed a drone over Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province.
Türkiye says talks with Washington are continuing over six F-35 fighter jets it purchased but never received, as Ankara pushes for the lifting of U.S. sanctions on its defence industry.
Uzbekistan's freight volumes along the Middle Corridor have doubled in five years, highlighting the growing importance of Azerbaijan and the Port of Baku as key links in its trade routes to Europe.
Kazakhstan is considering new rules governing the use of artificial intelligence in newsrooms, including requirements to label AI-generated content. The proposal was discussed at the tenth Astana Media Week, which also focused on digital threats and children's online safety.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment