Türkiye Completes Production and Assembly of Its First Lunar Spacecraft

Türkiye has completed the production and assembly of its first lunar spacecraft and handed over the 3.5-metric-ton spacecraft to Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) for environmental testing. According to the Emirates News Agency (WAM), Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır said in a statement that the spacecraft will be launched from the Kennedy Space Center in early 2027 and will take approximately two months to reach a 100-kilometer (62.13-mile) high polar orbit around the Moon.

 The spacecraft will operate in lunar orbit for three months, although its mission duration could potentially be extended to up to one and a half years. During this period, locally developed scientific instruments will be used to study solar winds, the formation of water, magnetic fields, and surface radiation. Mehmet Fatih Kacır said these efforts are aimed at establishing a “fully self-reliant Türkiye in critical technologies,” following the same approach the country has adopted in its defense industry.

The spacecraft incorporates key communications and power systems developed for the previous İMECE and Türksat 6A satellite projects and have a domestic production rate of 80 percent. Citing Anatole Agency, Kacır said further tests will verify the spacecraft’s ability to withstand the harsh conditions encountered during launch and in the space environment. After that, the spacecraft will be transferred to the new clean-room facility of TÜBİTAK UZAY for final inspections.

The spacecraft will use a locally developed hybrid propulsion system for orbital insertion operations and for the final controlled deceleration maneuver required to reach the lunar surface after completing its primary scientific mission. The minister said that so far, only eight countries have carried out lunar missions, and when Türkiye completes its program, it will become the ninth country to do so.  The development comes as Türkiye recently joined the Artemis Accords, which aim to promote international cooperation in the peaceful exploration of the Moon and beyond. Mehmet Fatih Kacır said production of the Türksat 7A communications satellite has begun, while the design phases for the İMECE-2 and İMECE-3 Earth-observation satellite constellations are also underway.