Minister Kacır: Turkey Will Switch to Domestic Navigation and Send a Spacecraft to the Moon in 2027

Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır shared Turkey's future goals in technology and space during his speech at the Bursa Technical University 2026-2027 Academic Year Opening Ceremony. Kacır stated that starting in early 2027, foreign applications on phones will be replaced by a completely domestic and national navigation application, a Moon spacecraft with a domestic production rate of over 80 percent will be sent into space in the early months of 2027, and a spaceport will be established in Somalia.

Making statements at the ceremony held at Bursa Technical University, Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacır drew attention to the strategic importance that civil-appearing applications hold in terms of data security. Stating that TOGG also contributed to the domestic map and navigation application, Kacır expressed that the transition to a completely domestic and national navigation application is planned as of the beginning of 2027.

Touching upon the planned spaceport in Somalia in line with Turkey's goals for independent access to space, Kacır noted that regions close to the equator provide the advantage of maximum benefit from the Earth's rotational speed during rocket launches. Stating that thanks to this, launch costs could be thirty percent lower compared to geographies like Turkey, Kacır emphasized that this infrastructure is designed not only for Turkey's own launch needs but also to provide services to the world.

Explaining that the Moon spacecraft, which uses a hybrid propulsion system developed by themselves and has a domestic production rate of over 80 percent, will be sent into space in the early months of 2027, Kacır stated that this will make Turkey one of the nine countries that have succeeded in reaching the Moon. Additionally, reminding that the İMECE observation satellite and Türksat 6A communication satellite were also produced with a domestic rate of over 80 percent, Kacır noted that Turkey is among the countries capable of producing satellites.