Turkey is working on a hybrid rocket that plans to deliver an unmanned spacecraft to the moon in 2023. This was stated by the Minister of Industry and Technology of the Republic Mustafa Varank in an interview with Anadolu.
“We will carry out the first launch in cooperation with international companies. However, our spacecraft will be delivered to the Moon by launching our unique national rocket into low-earth orbit, ”Varank noted.
He also emphasized that the Turkish space program is aimed at bringing the country to the “top league in the space sector.”
On February 10, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, presenting the new National Space Program, said that Turkey would send a spacecraft on an expedition to the moon by the end of 2023. The program also includes the development of meteorological satellites and training for the space industry. Erdogan promised that Ankara will ensure the safety of the information received from satellites.
At the end of January, it was reported that the head of Tesla and SpaceX, Elon Musk, spoke by phone with Recep Tayyip Erdogan. On January 8, SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 launch vehicle with the Turkish communications satellite Turksat 5A. The satellite, designed to provide digital television and broadband Internet services, will start operating in the second half of 2021. It will become the fourth Turkish spacecraft in orbit.
