As Türkiye intensifies its scientific focus on the Moon under its national lunar program, the country also aims to secure a larger stake in the rapidly expanding space economy by developing high-tech products.
Interest in the Moon – often dubbed the “eighth continent” due to increasing accessibility – is steadily growing. More than 60 lunar missions are planned over the next decade, with new players expected to join those already operating on or around the Moon, according to information compiled by Anadolu Agency (AA).
Experts estimate that the emerging Earth-Moon economic zone could reach a cumulative market volume of $150 billion by 2040. In pursuit of lasting presence and economic influence in space, major global efforts such as the ARTEMIS program, the Lunar Gateway and the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) are shaping strategic, long-term partnerships.
The Moon is expected to serve as a key fueling hub for space missions, enabling more sustainable logistics between Earth, the Moon and deep space. In this context, Türkiye continues to work on achieving independent space access as part of its National Space Program. The country is preparing for its first lunar mission by 2028 and aims to gain experience in deep space operations in the longer term.
The country is also positioning itself among the select group of nations conducting advanced lunar research. It is hosting scientific workshops to strengthen its academic and technological capacity.
The country's future lunar mission is set to rely on domestically developed propulsion systems and a spacecraft designed and produced by Turkish engineers and scientists. A wide range of technologies are currently under development, including a lunar telescope, narrow-field radiometer, radiation dosimeter and calorimeter and high-resolution video cameras for detailed surface analysis.
The scientific goals of Türkiye’s Moon mission are significant. Researchers aim to investigate the origins of lunar water, study the structure of local magnetospheres, analyze surface temperature distribution and characterize the radiation environment in lunar and Earth orbits. Findings from the mission are expected to guide future lunar exploration initiatives.
Participation in the Moon’s orbit and surface activity is critical for capturing a share of the expanding space economy. Building infrastructure in lunar orbit and on the surface is considered a foundational step for what many experts now call the “lunar economy.” This economy is projected to be driven by three key pillars: transportation to the Moon, lunar-specific data services and resource utilization.
Through the Moon Program – one of the flagship goals in Türkiye’s National Space Program – the country is developing capabilities that could contribute to all three pillars. It's a growing space ecosystem that draws on both space and non-space industries and is seen as having the potential to compete in the emerging lunar market.
However, realizing this vision requires more than just advancements in space technology. Key sectors such as automotive, construction, robotics, telecommunications, energy, mining, health care and transportation are also expected to play a role in shaping the Moon economy.
The “Moon transportation” segment, which includes system development, launches, orbit transfers, landings, operations support and data processing, is projected to reach a market size of $79 billion by 2040. This category includes satellites, landers, surface rovers, navigation and landing systems, spacecraft operations, communications, data transmission, mission data processing and information generation.
Meanwhile, the lunar data segment – covering data collection, transmission and analysis – could grow to $8.3 billion by 2040. This includes payload development, launch and deployment to lunar orbit, data collection from orbit and surface, raw data processing, on-board storage, data downlink and creation of value-added information.
The market for lunar resources is expected to grow to $64 billion by 2040. This includes remote and on-site resource exploration, raw material extraction, transportation to processing centers, waste separation, material refinement, production of usable resources, storage of final products and delivery to customers.
