Antalya:Türkiye is preparing to send its first spacecraft beyond Earth orbit, with a mission aimed at studying the Moon and testing satellite technologies' autonomous operation in deep space. Scheduled for launch in the second quarter of 2027, the spacecraft will take approximately two months to reach a circular polar orbit about 100 kilometers above the lunar surface, where it is expected to function for at least three months, with the potential to extend the mission up to 1.5 years.
According to Anadolu Agency, the mission represents the initial phase of Türkiye's Lunar Research Program, a key component of the country's National Space Program. The project is designed to advance Türkiye's space capabilities beyond Earth orbit and lay the groundwork for future lunar missions. The spacecraft, weighing around 3.5 tons, boasts over 80% domestic content, with critical components and systems drawing on technology developed for previous national satellite programs.
Burak Yaglioglu, the project manager at the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye's Space Technologies Research Institute, highlighted the mission's goal of demonstrating Türkiye's ability to design, operate, and gather scientific data from a deep-space mission. A notable technological demonstration involves an image-based navigation system, enabling the spacecraft to autonomously navigate lunar orbit by identifying landmarks on the Moon's surface.
The spacecraft will carry four scientific payloads, two developed domestically and two through international partnerships with Sweden and China. These instruments will investigate interactions between solar wind and the lunar surface, the Moon's magnetic environment, and water formation processes. The imaging system will deliver high-resolution panchromatic images and wide-area RGB imaging.
After completing its scientific objectives, the spacecraft will execute a controlled descent towards the lunar surface, marking a hard landing. This mission sets the stage for Türkiye's second lunar mission, which aims to achieve a controlled landing and deploy a rover for surface exploration.
This lunar mission is part of a broader effort by Türkiye to test and expand its technological capabilities in space. The experience gained will be critical for future deep-space missions and will contribute to Türkiye's goal of becoming the ninth country to undertake a lunar mission, as stated by Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacir.