Turkey announces National Space Program
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that the National Space Program will bring Turkey into the premier league in the global space race. Erdoğan stressed that the first Turkish citizen will land on the moon on the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Turkey.
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President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announces the Turkish National Space Program. President Erdoğan shared with the public the 10 main goals of the National Space Program at a ceremony held on Tuesday, 9 February, 2021, at the Presidential National Congress and Cultural Centre, and said, “The primary and most important goal of the program is to make first contact with the moon on the 100th anniversary of the Republic, and to send a Turkish citizen to space.”
Erdoğan emphasized that the National Space Program will take Turkey into the premier league in the global space race, and drew attention to the satellite production activities. “This will pave the way for the development of Turkey’s own precise navigation capabilities in defence, agriculture, urbanization and autonomous vehicles,” Erdoğan said.
“WE HAVE 10 GOALS IN THE GLOBAL SPACE RACE”
Here are the 10 goals of the National Space Program that will be implemented by the Turkish Space Agency (TSA):
- Touching down on the Moon for the first time with a hard landing on the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Turkey with a national and indigenous hybrid rocket, to be launched into a near-Earth orbit with international cooperation.
- Creating a trademark that can compete in the global arena in the field of next-generation satellite development.
- Developing a regional positioning and timing system that will belong to Turkey.
- Providing access to space and establishing a spaceport business.
- Investing in the fields defined as “space weather and meteorology” to increase Turkey’s competence in space.
- Rendering Turkey more competent in astronomical observations and in the ground-based tracking of space objects.
- Conducting integrated activities with industry in the field of space.
- Establishing a space technology development zone with the Middle East Technical University (METU) for the hosting of domestic and foreign investors.
- Building awareness in space to develop effective and competent human resources for engagement in space activities. Postgraduate and doctorate scholarships will be awarded in this field, while national and international summer schools, courses and workshops will be held.
- Sending a Turkish citizen astronaut into space on a scientific mission.
