Ankara: Trkiye is preparing to establish its own launch facility by building a spaceport in Somalia to strengthen its independence in the space industry and to become an alternative gateway to space. Trkiye's National Space Program's independent access to space strategy gave a green signal to the construction of a spaceport in Somalia.
According to Anadolu Agency, Umut Yildiz, an astrophysicist, mentioned that the project offers the country many opportunities. The spaceport project was announced by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and later, Turkish Industry and Technology Minister Fatih Kacir provided details on the project. Yildiz stated that it is key to choose a location close to the equator to launch rockets, noting that the European Space Agency (ESA) uses French Guiana as its launch site.
Yildiz explained that the Earth's rotational speed is highest at the equator, providing rockets with additional thrust when launched, which requires less fuel to transport large rockets into orbit. He noted that Somalia is a great location for fuel efficiency. He also mentioned that rockets are launched towards the sea or the ocean to reduce risks, and regular launches could lead to risks for neighboring countries. Despite concerns about Somalia's security, Yildiz expressed confidence in the security provided by the existing Turkish military base in the country.
Trkiye chose Somalia for its spaceport due to favorable weather conditions, allowing launches all year round, as well as low air and sea traffic density. The project aims to enable Trkiye to become one of the countries with an independent satellite launch infrastructure, coordinated by the Turkish Industry and Technology Ministry with contributions from institutions, especially the Turkish Space Agency (TUA).
Trkiye plans to develop homegrown space vehicles to ensure sovereignty in critical space technologies. Infrastructure, subsystems, and equipment for space technologies will be produced domestically, while the planned launch center will be opened for commercial use in the next phase of the project. This facility will serve the private sector and become a significant source of revenue.
Homegrown satellites will initially be launched into low Earth orbit and geosynchronous Earth orbit. In the future, the facility will meet the needs of international customers while contributing to Somalia's development. The spaceport will be part of a sustainable and competitive domestic industrial ecosystem for Trkiye, eliminating external dependency in critical areas like rocket engines, fuel technologies, propulsion systems, high-technology materials, avionics, and ground support infrastructure.