Turkey space race gains pace with Somalia launch facility

Turkey is building a rocket-launching facility in Somalia, boosting its ambition to join the global space race.

The project is expected to generate jobs and revenue, Bloomberg reported, citing Somalia president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.

“I personally believe that the importance of Somalia hosting a launchpad for Turkish satellites is even more significant than the billions of dollars and opportunities that the project will generate,” the news agency reported Mohamud as saying. 

The exact location of the project has not been disclosed. No financial details were given.

This initiative aligns with Turkey’s ambitious 10-year space roadmap unveiled in 2021. The plan includes missions to the moon, as well as the building of a spaceport and satellite technologies.

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In August, the state-run Anadoli Agency said research and development (R&D) spending on the exploration and utilisation of space surged 146-fold over the last decade.

Expenditures from the central government budget for the space sector rose from more than 9 million liras ($4.7 million) in 2013 to 1.5 billion liras ($63 million) in 2023.