• Turkey could play an influential role in the International Lunar Research Station, says space analyst

  • Its national space programme includes building sophisticated satellites and space launch capability and aims to make a hard landing on lunar surface in 2026 ⠀

It aligned with the country’s recent achievements in space, including astronaut Alper Gezeravci’s trip to the International Space Station as part of the Ax-3 commercial human space flight mission ⠀

John Sheldon, co-founding managing partner of the London-based space consulting company AstroAnalytica, said he was not surprised Turkey was interested in joining the ILRS initiative.

Turkish involvement would benefit China given its space ambitions and programmes, with the implication of potential budget and technological contributions, he said on Wednesday. ⠀

The move would also serve Ankara’s geopolitical goals, he said, as its foreign policy was going through a significant transition from being a Western-oriented country to looking increasingly towards the east and south. ⠀

If Turkey’s application is accepted, it would be the 10th nation member of the China and Russian-led moon base project, following Venezuela, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Belarus, South Africa, Egypt and Thailand.

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      • PowerCrazy@lemmy.ml
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        7 months ago

        Yea it’s this. The Artemis program is a boondongle and unlike during the cold war, the contractors know there is no existential threat to them if the program is never completed. When the program finally gets cancelled the only downside is that one of the contractors money spigots is turned off, but another will soon show up.

    • Squizzy@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      The US is a sinking ship, cant govern themselves, cant be relied upon and have taken the side of the aggressor in a genocide.

      This is the find out part for the US.

    • Lojcs@lemm.ee
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      7 months ago

      Turkey has no alignment. It does whatever looks best at any moment.

      In this case it’s probably that Azerbaijan is also in the program

    • mathemachristian [he/him]@hexbear.net
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      7 months ago

      The restrictions came 6 months into the genocide after some election losses of the AKP because its supposed to be a religious conservative party and yeah the palestinians might be arabs but theyre also muslim so a lot the AKP base was reconsidering their allegiance.

    • Sagittarii@lemm.ee
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      7 months ago

      And while still under Erdogan. They’re realizing they’ve been on a sinking ship maybe lol