Turkish Space Programs

[neosinan]

This is a major development and shows serious progress toward an actual SLV. I'm curious though, is Roketsan or another company also developing a first stage and second stage engine for this? And also investing enough resources into the production and storage facilities of cryogenic (super-cold) substances like liquid hydrogen (fuel) and liquid oxygen (oxidizer)?

New Small company was trying to build rocket engine, I believe it could be used in second stage but I'm skeptical their ability and their test video was quite amateur.

 

[TheMightyBender]

We need a space race to kick-start our space projects, especially the SLV. We may have more urgent needs especially in the defence sector now, but in the long term space is everything.

 

[Saithan]

We need a space race to kick-start our space projects, especially the SLV. We may have more urgent needs especially in the defence sector now, but in the long term space is everything.

In the long run yes, but it's just as important to develop engine and thrust otherwise we might be sitting ducks even out in space

 

[Pax Ottomana]

Space race with whom, exactly? The Russians reached space 60 years ago in 1957 with the Sputnik satellite. Americans landed men on the moon 48 years ago in 1969 with Apollo 11. The following list of countries can all launch their own satellites:

USA
France
Japan
China
UK
India
Russia
Ukraine
Israel
Iran
North Korea

Yes, even heavily-sanctioned Iran and piss-poor North Korea are on the list!

Iranian satellite launcher Safir-1 (successfully placed a small satellite called Omid in space back in 2009.)

North Korea joined the "space nation club" in 2012 with the launch of a earth observation satellite with their Unha-3 rocket.

The race is over. But being able to launch satellites (reach space) remains a strategic capability. Turkey has to keep up by developing the Roketsan SLV as soon as possible.

 

[TheMightyBender]

Space race with whom, exactly? The Russians reached space 60 years ago in 1957 with the Sputnik satellite. Americans landed men on the moon 48 years ago in 1969 with Apollo 11. The following list of countries can all launch their own satellites:

USA
France
Japan
China
UK
India
Russia
Ukraine
Israel
Iran
North Korea

Yes, even heavily-sanctioned Iran and piss-poor North Korea are on the list!

Iranian satellite launcher Safir-1 (successfully placed a small satellite called Omid in space back in 2009.)

North Korea joined the "space nation club" in 2012 with the launch of a earth observation satellite with their Unha-3 rocket.

The race is over. But being able to launch satellites (reach space) remains a strategic capability. Turkey has to keep up by developing the Roketsan SLV as soon as possible.

You can always create a new race. There is always new missions and destinations in space. And it doesn't have to be a worldwide race. We don't have to race with giants like Russia and the United States of America. For example we could compete with Iran to put men in space. I know that at the moment or behind Iran but we need that motivation to catch up with them as soon as possible. And I think something like a space race could give us that motivation.

 

[Pax Ottomana]

You can always create a new race. There is always new missions and destinations in space. And it doesn't have to be a worldwide race. We don't have to race with giants like Russia and the United States of America. For example we could compete with Iran to put men in space. I know that at the moment or behind Iran but we need that motivation to catch up with them as soon as possible. And I think something like a space race could give us that motivation.

Yes, I see your point there and I agree.

Turkey should prioritize this by assigning the SLV project more resources. Roketsan has come a long way in terms of technological capabilities in the last 10-15 years, but I'm not too confident that they can pull off developing the SLV on their own. From the pictures they released it looks like they're working on a type that utilizes liquid propellants, presumably RP-1 kerosene (as fuel) and liquid oxygen or IRFNA (as oxidizer).

The problem here is that the engines that use liquid/cryogenic propellants are extremely complex because of all the plumbing, temperature/pressure control, turbo pumps, combustion chamber, gimbal stabilizers, servos, etc involved. And the more complex an engine is, the more things can go wrong during launch.

I think they should've focused on a small, simple solid fuel booster-based rocket first just to get Turkey to space as quickly as possible so that we become the 12th sovereign country to do it. THEN in the coming years design complex liquid propellant rockets of various sizes.

 

[TheMightyBender]

Yes, I see your point there and I agree.

Turkey should prioritize this by assigning the SLV project more resources. Roketsan has come a long way in terms of technological capabilities in the last 10-15 years, but I'm not too confident that they can pull off developing the SLV on their own. From the pictures they released it looks like they're working on a type that utilizes liquid propellants, presumably RP-1 kerosene (as fuel) and liquid oxygen or IRFNA (as oxidizer).

The problem here is that the engine with liquid/cryogenic engines are extremely complex because of all the plumbing, temperature/pressure control, turbo pumps, combustion chamber, gimbal stabilizers, servos, etc involved. I think they should've focused on a small, simple solid fuel booster-based rocket first just to get Turkey to space as quickly as possible so that we become the 12th sovereign country to do it. THEN in the coming years design complex liquid propellant rockets of various sizes.

Yes you're right. For example the Iranian rocket that you mentioned Safir 1 is a very small rocket that carries only 50 kg to the lower Earth orbit Iranians then developed a large rocket name simorgh that is capable of carrying about 500 kg to low earth orbit. I think if we follow that kind of path we may have had more chances of success. I don't know if now it's too late to change our policies, but if it is Let's cross our fingers and hope for the best.

 

[Pax Ottomana]

Yes you're right. For example the Iranian rocket that you mentioned Safir 1 is a very small rocket that carries only 50 kg to the lower Earth orbit Iranians then developed a large rocket name simorgh that is capable of carrying about the 500 kg to low earth orbit. I think if we fall out that kind of pads that we may have had more chances of success. I don't know if now it's too late to change our policies, but if it is Let's cross our fingers and hope for the best.

Also something to keep in mind is that we can never rule out launch failures. In fact, statistically it's almost impossible not to have failed launches.

Yes, they can be very costly and they deal a serious blow to the prestige of the space program when they happen. But every nation experiences them at some point. Iran for example has had multiple failures with the Safir:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safir_(rocket)

Heck, even the mighty/expensive/super-duper complex Space Shuttle blew up and killed all its crew twice, once during launch (Challenger), and once during re-entry (Columbia).

Even at this early stage, we should mentally prepare for failures of our own as to not be discouraged by them when they happen.

 

[Pax Ottomana]

SpaceX facilities video tour by Elon Musk. There's a Turkish systems engineer working there named Bulent Altan, who works on testing avionics.

 

[Seyfullah]

https://twitter.com/x/status/940203748470808577

 

[Seyfullah]

https://twitter.com/x/status/943188295852445696

 

[Pax Ottomana]

What exactly do they mean by "hibrit yakitli roket teknolojisi"?

There are solid rocket fuel engines and liquid fuel rocket engines... Some rockets use both for various stages. Are they talking about developing solid rocket boosters and cryogenic/liquid fuel engines separately so that they can use different propellants for different rocket stages like other countries do?

Or do they mean some new kind of engine that uses a "hybrid fuel" technology that'll be first in the world?

 

[Mr.Department]

What exactly do they mean by "hibrit yakitli roket teknolojisi"?

There are solid rocket fuel engines and liquid fuel rocket engines... Some rockets use both for various stages. Are they talking about developing solid rocket boosters and cryogenic/liquid fuel engines separately so that they can use different propellants for different rocket stages like other countries do?

Or do they mean some new kind of engine that uses a "hybrid fuel" technology that'll be first in the world?

Boosters are solid most, main engines liquid. Boosters are the attached ones.
That means ours try to develop a real SLV.

 

[OguzSenturk]

https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Hybrid-propellant_rocket

 

[Mr.Department]

https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Hybrid-propellant_rocket

https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Pars_Rocketry

is a hybrid propellant rocket available ? obviously not , except boosters with solid propellants