TUA — Turkish Space Agency

Overview

The Turkish Space Agency (Türkiye Uzay Ajansı, TUA) was founded in December 2018 in Ankara to unify a space effort previously split across TÜBİTAK research institutes, the military and the Türksat operator. Its National Space Programme, unveiled in 2021, set ten headline goals — from a national astronaut to a regional positioning system and, most ambitiously, a mission to the Moon.

Delivery has begun. Alper Gezeravçı became the first Turkish astronaut in January 2024, flying to the ISS on Axiom's Ax-3, followed months later by Tuva Cihangir Atasever's suborbital research flight. Türksat 6A, the first Turkish-built communications satellite, reached geostationary orbit in 2024, joining the Göktürk reconnaissance satellites and the İMECE Earth-observation satellite. A domestic micro-launcher and a hard-then-soft lunar landing remain the programme's long poles.

Quick Facts

Key Programmes

National Space Programme

Ten goals announced in 2021: a lunar mission (AYAP), a national astronaut, a regional positioning system, a spaceport, a space weather capability and more.

Astronaut missions

Alper Gezeravçı spent two weeks on the ISS with Ax-3 in January 2024; Tuva Cihangir Atasever flew a suborbital science mission with Virgin Galactic in June 2024.

Türksat & national satellites

Türksat 6A (2024) made Türkiye one of the few countries to build its own geostationary comsat. Göktürk satellites provide reconnaissance; İMECE (2023) is the flagship domestic Earth observer.

Lunar programme (AYAP)

A staged Moon plan: first a hard-impact probe delivered with international launch, then a soft landing using a domestically developed hybrid engine.

Launch Vehicles

Timeline