The Republic of Türkiye became the 71st country to sign the Artemis Accords on 31 August 2026. The signing took place at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., and placed Türkiye in a U.S.-led framework for peaceful and cooperative space exploration.
Artemis Accords Framework
The Artemis Accords were launched in 2020 as a set of non-binding principles for civil space activities. The framework covers transparency, interoperability, emergency assistance to astronauts, registration of space objects, and the protection of historic sites in outer space, including lunar heritage locations.
Türkiye’s Space Cooperation Profile
Türkiye signed the accords through Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır. Turkish Space Agency President Yusuf Kıraç and U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Connor Tomlinson were present at the ceremony, which was hosted by NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman.
Türkiye became the seventh Middle Eastern country to join the Artemis Accords after the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Jordan, and Israel. The country also joined a group of states that have linked national space programmes with lunar exploration and international space law norms.
Türkiye’s Human Spaceflight and Lunar Plans
NASA referred to Türkiye’s recent human spaceflight milestones, including astronaut Alper Gezeravcı’s Axiom Mission 3 flight to the International Space Station in 2024 and researcher Tuva Atasever’s suborbital flight with Virgin Galactic in 2024. Türkiye is also preparing AYAP-1, its first lunar mission, which aims to send a hybrid-propelled spacecraft to the Moon in early 2027.
The Artemis programme is NASA’s lunar exploration initiative linked to future crewed missions to the Moon. The International Astronautical Congress is scheduled to be hosted by Türkiye in Antalya in October 2026.
Important Facts for Exams
- The Artemis Accords were introduced in 2020 as a multilateral space cooperation framework.
- The accords are non-binding and focus on peaceful uses of outer space.
- The International Space Station is a multinational orbital laboratory used for human spaceflight research.
- Virgin Galactic conducts suborbital human spaceflight missions for research and tourism.
