Turkey's Moon spacecraft enters environmental testing phase

Turkey has reached a new milestone in its Moon Research Program (AYAP) with the completion of the production, assembly, and integration of its first deep space vehicle. The approximately 3.5-ton spacecraft, which features a domestic content rate of over 80 percent, has been transferred to the TUSAŞ Space Systems Integration and Test Center for system-level environmental testing. These tests will verify the vehicle's durability against mechanical, thermal, and radiation conditions encountered during launch and in space.

The mission is scheduled for launch in early 2027 from the Kennedy Space Center in the United States. Following a two-month journey, the spacecraft is expected to enter a polar and circular orbit 100 kilometers above the lunar surface. The mission aims to operate for at least three months, with the potential to extend up to 1.5 years. Scientific objectives include studying solar wind interactions with the lunar surface, water formation mechanisms, lunar magnetic fields, and thermal properties.

Additionally, high-level representatives of the Artemis Accords will gather in Antalya this October for the 77th International Astronautical Congress.