In their present state, space exploration should be their last project. I plan on going to Istanbul next year if the travel restrictions do not include inoculations against COVID. I suppose if push comes to SHOVE, if I want to go it will be as a 'punctured" one.
I don't know about how much technical knowhow the Turks have re: space travel, rocket research etc. but seems like a 'stretch' for Turkey at this point. Maybe if I get to Istanbul next year, I will gain some insight into Turkish society et al, and I can answer more intelligently.
With enough borrowing money, sure. The thing is that the only real reason to launch a mission to the moon at this point is prestige: the race to get there the first time was done in the fast, dangerous, and short term way; with a series of individual shots to get closer and closer, gathering data until a target place could be chosen, then getting there, doing a little research, and heading home. A bunch of SSTO rockets bringing supplies to an orbital launch base would've been MUCH better, from a long-term perspective. More expensive in the short term, though.
Children today play in the shade of trees their grandfathers planted; while an individual may be willing to start a project s/he'll never see the culmination of, taxpayer bases aren't the same thing. I suspect this is just Turkish government officials boasting to claim how awesome they are.
Turkey is actually surprisingly advanced country. I remember several years ago it was one of 3 countries in the whole world that wasn't in external debt, along China and Netherlands. I can't say I was following it's economical progess / state of matters in late years, but it seems to me they are doing fine. Just like any other country with large contrast between rural and urban areas, of course certain parts aren't living wealthy. But the urban parts live just fine.
As for this idea, I find it pathetic and just a play of the ego of the political leaders, and playing the nation on the national ego for the vote collection purposes. No need to go to moon or anywhere else, so this is just flexing that *they as well can*. Money in vain.
What, they having Thanksgiving in space next?
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Actually, Turkey is a large scale manufacturer in everything from textiles to weapons and was bound to aim for space eventually.
The reason the economy is fucked is largely down to EU bound migration draining it's resources, and US foreign policy.
It's one reason it wants to join the EU and solve most of it's problems that way.
in my opinion, a country can't say that it has its own space agency if it isn't designing and building their own launchers and spacecraft. That's like me saying I have a car company because I own a Honda. Buying proven systems off the shelf from another country is certainly more practical, but it doesn't win you any points for international achievement.
If by going to the moon they mean sending humans, I'm not really sure. If they mean a lander or a satellite, probably rocket lab (ellectron) had a project cost of about 100m I think, and they build decent rockets, I think they even have a moon mission planned if they haven't already done it.
The problem is that there's always unknowns. It's like a person who's never driven a car saying they're going to drive a car 3k miles within the next month. It's not likely cause they're going to crash too many times on the way.
If they can afford it? Russians sell their civilian rocket technology to anyone for a huge pile of Euros/Dollars. Has Turkey this money? I don't think so.
If you're sending a rocket to the moon, could you do the world (especially Turkey) a big favour and make sure Erdogan is on board when it blasts off?
I don't believe it, just look at their situation and look at their president
Well, their economy can definitely handle its space program. Whether they will have a long-shot one is a real question.
We should applause for anyone who want to leave away from earth.
Yeah I'm sure they could go to space. All the hard work of figuring it out has already been done for them though any space mission is nail biting
Erdogan is already living on the moon...
On a more serious note, is that really their priority? :-o :-o
Turkey, the country that brought us Beko, the self igniting kitchen appliances, no i dont think they'll make it.
Like Bezos and Shatner showed the border with space is technically a LOT closer than people think. Yeah they might make it. But not in any impressive way.
I gotta say " I couldn't care less if they do or don't". But as you say, with their economy in a shamble, what's the point? Seems like a waste of money to me!
This is TERRIBLE news!
Lol why are they trying to do that? I feel like they should have other priorities...
Muslims flying to the moon? I assume their shuttle won't need a landing gear.
@jason0808 That would depend on whether Turkey could invent a functional rocket successfully or not.
As long as they bring the Mayo, I don't care how much turkey is up there.
Big countries going to Mars small countries going to the moon. I think they are capable of it.
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