Target for Turkey's First Moon Spacecraft AYAP-1 is 2027

Within the framework of Turkey's new roadmap in space technologies, the first Moon spacecraft AYAP-1 is planned to be launched in the first half of 2027. Produced by TÜBİTAK UZAY with a domestic production rate of over 80 percent, the vehicle will conduct various scientific researches in lunar orbit.

Production, assembly, and integration activities have been completed for AYAP-1, which is the first phase of the Lunar Research Program under the National Space Program. Testing processes regarding the durability of the approximately 3.5-ton spacecraft against space conditions are ongoing. Following the launch, at the end of a journey expected to last about two months, the spacecraft is projected to settle into a polar orbit approximately 100 kilometers above the lunar surface.

The spacecraft, which is planned to operate in lunar orbit for at least three months, will examine the interaction of solar winds with the lunar surface, water formation mechanisms, magnetic fields, surface temperatures, and the radiation environment. At the end of the mission, it is targeted to deliver the spacecraft to the lunar surface through controlled maneuvers using a domestic hybrid propulsion system. The domestic production rate of the spacecraft is over 80 percent, with 56 out of 65 equipment items produced domestically.