Roketsan is a contractor for the Micro Satellite Launch System (MSLS) development project initiated by the Defense Industry Presidential Palace (SSB). The first prototype sounding rocket developed has been launched into space using liquid propellant rocket engine technology. Therefore, Roketsan has entered the fast lane to achieve new goals.
Turkey launched its independent entry into space in 2012. In 2015, a satellite launch space system and advanced technology research center was established in Roketsan, and a sounding rocket for space technology testing and a milestone for the system was developed. Just two years of history. After Turkey achieved its first independent entry into space in 2017, it completed its flight test in 2018 with 100% success, proving Roketsan’s technical capabilities for stage separation and controlled flight outside the atmosphere.
The rocket lifts up to 136 kilometers
The Satellite Launch Space System and Advanced Technology Research Center held its opening ceremony on August 30, 2020. President Erdogan participated in the opening ceremony of the center. The center will continue to develop many new high-tech systems and subsystems, including MSLS .
In the MSLS development project, Roketsan successfully completed the test of four sounding rockets developed for testing space technology on October 29, 2020. SR-0.1-the first prototype sounding rocket-was launched into space using solid propellant rocket motor technology. During the test launch, the sounding rocket reached an altitude of 136 kilometers, and the payload bay required for scientific search was successfully separated. The success of the test not only greatly promoted the development of liquid propellant rocket engines to meet the precise orbital placement requirements of the MSLS development project, but also marked the first time Turkey has been in space.
Steps taken in space
Roketsan’s engineers have designed all the key technologies of the launch system and spacecraft, and all these technologies are produced using domestic methods. The following key systems and stages have been verified:
- Solid propellant rocket motor with thrust vector control function
- Pneumatic hybrid control and electromechanical control propulsion driven by thrust vector control
- Liquid propellant rocket engines have been launched multiple times in space
- Precise directional control in space environment
- Inertial precision navigation based on national sensors and national GPS receivers
- Capsules in space break away
- Various structures and chemical materials and advanced processing technology
During the test, as another milestone in the history of the Turkish space system, some scientific payloads such as interstellar trackers and radiometers were brought into the space environment, and all relevant data were collected.
Future goals
The sounding rocket is scheduled to be launched in 2023 and is planned to be used to test the microsatellite launch vehicle (MSLV) technology, capable of carrying a 100 kg payload to an altitude of 300 kilometers. Efforts are also being made to develop MSLV configurations with greater capacity (payload and/or orbital height), where the first stage of MSLV is supported by side engines.
Once the MSLV project currently being carried out at the Roketsan Satellite Launch Space System and Advanced Technology Research Center is completed, which is scheduled to be completed in 2026, it is possible to place microsatellites weighing 100 kilograms and below at least 400 kilometers. Therefore, Turkey will have launch, test and manufacturing capabilities, as well as the ability to establish a spaceport, making it one of the few countries in the world with the necessary knowledge and infrastructure.
Roketsan’s success will be directly attributed to its agility in applying its advantages to civil projects in the space sector in a short period of time. This power comes from acquiring the necessary knowledge and infrastructure, academia/industry shareholder ecosystem, and a team of advanced technical experts. With the strong support of President Erdogan, he has accumulated more than 30 years of experience in the defense field. SSB. Roketsan’s success story was written in the first five years of Turkey’s space journey and is a source of courage and inspiration in the national space program.
