Türkiye to send two space missions to the Moon AYAP-1 and AYAP-2 spacecrafts set for lift-off

Türkiye will send two space missions to the Moon with the first one to depart in 2026 under the domestic National Space Program. 

The Turkish Space Agency (TUA) revealed that the AYAP-1 spacecraft, which will make a hard landing on the Moon, will fire its national hybrid rocket in space and is set to land on the Moon in 2026, Caliber.Az reports via Turkish media.

Additionally, the Bor-11 element found in Türkiye will be transformed into plasma with hydrogen and subjected to reaction under low temperatures for the development of fusion reactors, which are the primary source of renewable propulsion energy systems.

TUA is accelerating its efforts to increase Türkiye’s capacity in crucial space and aviation technologies and sciences, aiming to position the country among the leading nations in this field.

TUA, along with TÜBİTAK Space and Delta V companies, will carry the knowledge and experience gained from their observation and communication satellite projects into the Lunar Research Program (AYAP). In the first phase of AYAP, Türkiye will reach the Moon and make a hard landing, after firing its own national and original hybrid rocket engine, in collaboration with international partners. 

As of today, the risks of the spacecraft planned to reach the Moon within the scope of AYAP-1 have been identified, and the mission design and preliminary design work have been completed, while the critical design phase is ongoing. The goal is to achieve a hard landing on the Moon in 2026. Furthermore, discussions are ongoing for critical service procurements such as ground station leasing and launch services.

In the second phase of AYAP, it is planned to launch a national vehicle to space with a domestic launch vehicle, while the AYAP-2 spacecraft will conduct soft landings on the Moon’s surface using domestic engines and carry out scientific research. Conceptual design studies are also underway to ensure that the spacecraft, which is currently being developed for a hard landing in the first phase, can also serve as a lander in consideration of the second phase.

Additionally, for the second phase, preliminary studies are being carried out, primarily by student teams, for a rover mission, which will be part of the program.

By Khagan Isayev