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Nato member Turkey seeks to join China-Russia moon project instead of US-led Artemis programme: reports
- Turkey could play an influential role in the International Lunar Research Station, says space analyst
- Its national space programme includes building sophisticated satellites and space launch capability and aims to make a hard landing on lunar surface in 2026
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Turkey could play an influential role in the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) as it seeks to join the project led by China and Russia, bringing with it high space ambitions and a shifting political agenda, according to a space analyst.
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The Middle Eastern nation had applied to be a member of the ILRS, an initiative to build a base at the moon’s south pole by 2035, Turkish and Russian media outlets reported on Monday. It is the first Nato member to apply.
The move “represents a new chapter in Turkey’s quest for a robust presence in space research and exploration”, the Istanbul-based Turkiye Newspaper wrote.
It aligned with the country’s recent achievements in space, including astronaut Alper Gezeravci’s trip to the International Space Station as part of the Ax-3 commercial human space flight mission, the newspaper said.
Turkey’s application was also confirmed by Anatoly Petrukovich, director of the Space Research Institute under the Russian Academy of Sciences, at a press conference in Moscow, according to Russian state-owned news agency RIA.
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