Turkey plans Moon mission in 2027 using own hybrid rocket

Turkey plans to reach the Moon in 2027 using its own hybrid rocket engine, industry and technology minister Mehmet Fatih Kacır has said.

It will be the first country to use the technology in deep space, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported, quoting the minister.

Hybrid rocket engines, which combine a solid fuel grain with a liquid or gaseous oxidiser, offer a significant cost advantage over other types of rocket engines in the space industry. Turkey is currently launching its own satellites using rockets developed by other countries.

Kacır said it also intends to develop and produce spacecraft capable of placing satellites into orbit, as demand for such service is expected to grow.

“We have already started the construction of a spaceport in Somalia,” he said.

Turkey’s plans are focused on robotic and uncrewed lunar missions, rather than putting human astronauts on the surface of the Moon.

Its National Space Programme is also establishing a Space Technology Development Zone to advance research, development and production capabilities in the space industry.

The global space economy has exceeded $600 billion annually and is expected to reach $1 trillion in a few years, Kacır said.

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