Ministers outline space ambitions at 77th International Astronautical Congress in Antalya

Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır outlined Türkiye's satellite, rocket and Moon goals at a ministerial roundtable held as part of the 77th International Astronautical Congress in Antalya.

Scraper SystemOctober 06, 2026, 12:23 PM

Ministers outline space ambitions at 77th International Astronautical Congress in Antalya

A ministerial roundtable titled "Space: A national strategic priority?" was held as part of the 77th International Astronautical Congress in Antalya. The congress is being held at the Antalya NEST Congress Center under the coordination of the Ministry of Industry and Technology, with the support of the Turkish Space Agency and SAHA Istanbul.

Speaking at the meeting, Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır said Türkiye's technological achievements in the aviation and space industry were recognized worldwide. Kacır said this had been made possible by focusing on paradigm shifts and contributing to efforts with partners to transform the space sector.

Kacır said the 2026 International Astronautical Congress was the world's largest space event. Noting that Türkiye exports more than $283 billion in goods and over $120 billion in services annually, Kacır said investment in high technology could increase the production of high-value-added products and services.

Noting that Türkiye had made major investments in space science and technologies in recent years, Kacır said a domestic satellite production program had been launched. He said the program initially focused on observation satellites and announced that the high-resolution İMECE observation satellite, launched in 2023, had been produced with more than 85% domestic contribution.

Kacır said the launch of Türksat 6A had made Türkiye one of 11 countries capable of designing, developing and producing its own communications satellites. Saying that reaching the Moon was one of Türkiye's main priorities, Kacır said a major space technopark would be established in Ankara and that a spaceport was being built in Somalia to enable Türkiye to reach space using its own rockets.

Noting that Türkiye also had a launch vehicle development program, Kacır said a rapid paradigm shift was taking place in the field of sending payloads into space. He said faster progress could be achieved by focusing on such changes, as in the defense industry.

Kacır said the congress brought people together from different parts of the world, creating opportunities to exchange ideas, establish partnerships and plan for the future. Noting that more than 1 million young people attend TEKNOFEST, held annually in Türkiye for nine years, Kacır said young people compete in high technology, rocketry, satellite, unmanned aerial vehicle and robotics fields.

Goal of ranking among the top 10 space economies

United Arab Emirates Minister of Sports and President of the Space Agency Ahmed Belhoul Al Falasi said his institutions were 10-year-old organizations and needed to focus on the commercial dimension in the coming period. Falasi said close cooperation between the public and private sectors was one of the fundamental conditions for success in space.

Antalya'daki 77. Uluslararası Uzay Kongresi'nde bakanlar uzay hedeflerini anlattı

Falasi announced that, under the United Arab Emirates' National Space Strategy, the country aims to double revenue from commercial space activities by 2031 and rank among the world's 10 leading space economies. The strategy prioritizes attracting global ventures to the country, access to financing and markets, and the development of space infrastructure and a skilled workforce.

Poland calls for greater cooperation

Michal Jarosz, State Secretary at Poland's Ministry of Development and Technology, said next year's event would be held in Poland. Jarosz said space was vital to security and the economy, adding that satellites supported areas such as navigation, transportation, communications, agriculture and crisis management.

Noting that no country could meet all its needs in space on its own, Jarosz stressed that international capabilities and cooperation needed to complement each other. He said greater cooperation was needed to ensure that space remained open to safe, sustainable and peaceful activities for future generations.

Uzbekistan to host the 2028 congress, while Spain bids for 2029

Uzbekistan's Minister of Digital Technologies Sherzod Shermatov said space had been a national priority for his country six centuries ago as well and that they wanted to bring this priority back to Samarkand. Shermatov announced that preparations were underway to launch a satellite and send young astronauts into space as part of preparations for the congress, which Uzbekistan will host in 2028.

Juan Cruz Cigudosa, Spain's State Secretary for Science, Innovation and Universities, said the country's space sector had recorded significant growth between 2022 and 2025. Cigudosa said the revenue of Spanish space companies had risen by 40% to reach 1.5 billion euros annually, while employment in the sector had increased by 52%.

Cigudosa said Spain would contribute 1.55 billion euros to the European Space Agency between 2026 and 2030, adding that this was three times its annual contribution a decade earlier. Spain has put forward its candidacy to host the 80th International Astronautical Congress in Barcelona in 2029, with sustainable development, climate resilience and water resources as its central themes.

Ministers outline space ambitions at 77th International Astronautical Congress in Antalya