Signatures have been signed, the Turkish spacecraft is going to the Moon! Minister Kacır announced the historic date that will be a milestone.

01.09.2026 11:32

Türkiye has taken a significant step toward strengthening international cooperation in space studies. Minister of Industry and Technology Kacır signed the Artemis Accords on behalf of Türkiye at a ceremony held at NASA Headquarters in Washington. Minister Kacır stated, 'In the first months of 2027, we will hopefully send a spacecraft with a hybrid rocket engine developed by Türkiye's own capabilities to the Moon. We will both collect data from lunar orbit and take our place among the countries that have reached the Moon.'

Türkiye has taken an important step towards strengthening international cooperation in space studies. Industry and Technology Minister Kacır signed the Artemis Accords on behalf of Türkiye at a ceremony held at NASA Headquarters in Washington. Minister Kacır said, "In the first months of 2027, we will, God willing, send a spacecraft with a hybrid rocket engine developed by Türkiye's own means to the Moon. We will both collect data from lunar orbit and take our place among the countries that have reached the Moon."

"WE HAVE RAISED OUR CAPABILITIES TO ADVANCED LEVELS"

In his statement to Turkish press members after the signing ceremony, Minister Kacır evaluated Türkiye's level reached in space technologies, the Moon mission, the spaceport project carried out in Somalia, and the importance of the Artemis Accords for Türkiye.

Kacır said, "Here at NASA headquarters, we signed the agreement for our country's participation in the Artemis Accords. I hope it will be beneficial for our country. Of course, Türkiye, especially in recent years, has become a country that develops advanced technology in space, produces it, can offer the technologies it develops to the world competitively, and thus successfully implements the National Technology Initiative in space, as in many other fields. As you know, we have made great progress in imaging satellites in our journey in space technologies. With the BİLSAT satellite in the early 2000s, then RASAT, Göktürk-2, and finally with our high-resolution imaging satellite İMECE in the 100th anniversary of our Republic, we have raised our capabilities in this field to very advanced levels."

"WE BECAME A COUNTRY THAT CAN USE ITS OWN COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITE"

Minister Kacır stated that with the TÜRKSAT 6A satellite, Türkiye has become one of the 11 countries in the world that can develop, produce, and use its own communications satellite, saying, "With TÜRKSAT 6A, we managed to become one of the 11 countries in the world that can develop, produce, and use its own communications satellite. Today, we are a country that completes all development and testing processes in satellite technologies with its own means, its own human resources, and its own infrastructure, and that develops and produces its own satellites with a domesticity rate of over 80 percent. Of course, in our work in the space field, we also attach importance to and prioritize many other topics besides satellite technologies."

"WE WILL SEND A SPACECRAFT TO THE MOON"

Noting that programs targeting different goals are being implemented simultaneously under the coordination of the Turkish Space Agency, Kacır said, "Within the scope of the National Space Program, we are implementing programs for different goals simultaneously under the coordination of our Turkish Space Agency. Among these is the implementation of our country's program to reach the Moon. In the first months of 2027, we will, God willing, send a spacecraft with a hybrid rocket engine developed by Türkiye's own means to the Moon. We will both collect data from lunar orbit and take our place among the countries that have reached the Moon. In addition, we are, God willing, establishing a space technopark in Ankara together with our Middle East Technical University. This will enable the development of the space industry ecosystem, allow many companies established in this field to work in interaction, and lead to the formation of a space technologies cluster. Türkiye successfully implemented this in the defense and aviation industries. Now we aim to achieve similar success in space technologies, God willing."

SPACEPORT BEING BUILT IN SOMALIA

Providing information about the spaceport project carried out in Somalia, Kacır said, "As you know, we have started the construction of a spaceport in Somalia. The spaceport we are establishing will both enable our country's independent access to space and allow us to take a stronger place in the global space economy. As you know, developments in rocket technology, especially when we compare with previous periods, have made sending satellites into space more cost-effective and cheaper compared to previous periods. Thanks to this, many more satellites are now being sent, especially into low Earth orbit. When we compare with previous years, we are talking about satellite numbers that have increased 10-15 times, even 20 times, when we talk about satellites sent into space each year. Therefore, we anticipate that the demand for spaceports will also increase in the coming period. We hope that the spaceport Türkiye is establishing in Somalia will enable us to get a stronger share from the global space economy in this sense."

"TÜRKİYE WILL REACH THE GOAL OF THE NATIONAL SPACE PROGRAM"

Also touching upon Türkiye's manned space studies, Kacır said, "As you know, we have taken steps in manned space missions in recent years. With 13 scientific experiments carried out by our first astronaut Alper Gezeravcı at the International Space Station in 2024, Türkiye became one of the countries that have sent astronauts to space and conducted scientific studies at the International Space Station. Following this, we have taken steps to enable our country's scientists to work jointly with other countries' manned space missions. We have accelerated our international cooperation steps to take part in newly established space station projects. Therefore, we are striving in a multi-faceted way for Türkiye to achieve the goals of the National Space Program."

"A SOCIAL MOBILIZATION UNPARALLELED IN THE WORLD"

Drawing attention to the increasing interest in space and aviation technologies in Türkiye, Kacır said, "All these efforts have also created tremendous awareness in Türkiye. We hold the world's largest aviation, space, and technology festivals, TEKNOFESTs, in our country. No country has as many rocket teams as Türkiye. No country has as many satellite development teams as Türkiye. No country has as many unmanned aerial vehicle teams as Türkiye. Therefore, with a social mobilization unparalleled in the world, almost like a groundswell, Türkiye is undergoing a tremendous transformation in aviation and space technologies."

"THE HEART OF THE SPACE ECOSYSTEM WILL BEAT IN ANTALYA"

Stating that they attach great importance to international cooperation, Kacır reminded that Türkiye will host the 77th International Astronautical Congress and said, "In all these processes, we also consider international cooperation very valuable. Because space is not a domain where any country is alone. In this sense, as Türkiye, we will host the 77th International Astronautical Congress in Antalya on October 5-9 this year. We will welcome more than 10,000 guests from all over the world in Antalya, God willing. The heart of the space ecosystem will beat in Antalya in the first days of October."

"WE ATTACH IMPORTANCE TO SIGNING THE ARTEMIS ACCORDS"

Stating that the Artemis Accords will strengthen international cooperation in lunar, Mars, and deep space studies, Kacır said, "The signature we have made here today is also important for us. Within the framework of the Artemis Accords, especially in the studies carried out by countries in the fields of the Moon, Mars, and deep space, a good-faith approach is put forward regarding the adoption of principles of transparency, data sharing, and interoperability, and for countries to act in harmony in the studies carried out in this field."