Turkey is preparing to build its own spaceport from which to launch missions into space as part of its National Space Programme, with one country already established as the most likely candidate to host facilities with which the Eurasian country wants to boost its technological and aerospace autonomy.
According to recent reports in the Turkish media, citing sources from the Anatolia news agency, the future spaceport in Turkey will not only be used to meet the needs of national programmes but will also offer space mission launch services to international clients. The aim of the ‘Spaceport Project’ would thus be both to boost Turkey’s independence in the launch of space rockets and to meet the demand for satellite launches from international clients.
Senior officials quoted by the Anatolia agency have reportedly stated that the project is currently in the phase of identifying the best location to build the spaceport, for which the Turkish government is being advised by experts from both the public and private sectors. Countries located close to the equator are being considered because of their suitability for launching satellites into Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and into Geostationary Orbit (GEO), with Somalia – a country with which Turkey also has close political and economic relations – being the candidate most likely due to the advantages its geographical location offers for satellite launches.
To carry out these launches into space, Turkey will use its own propulsion vehicles and technology, that are currently being developed by engineers working for the Turkish space programme. Although it will initially be dedicated to launching national satellites into LEO and GEO orbits, at a later stage the space launch centre will also be open to commercial use by the private sector.
The construction of the spaceport in Africa forms part of the ambitious Turkish Space Programme, which has initially set itself a series of objectives up to the year 2030 that have already included sending the first Turkish astronaut into space, but which also involve the development of a new generation of national satellites, the creation of their own regional satellite positioning system, and the sending of a first mission to the Moon.
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Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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