DeltaV Space Technologies firm fired the hybrid rocket engine to be used in the unmanned vehicle to be sent to the Moon.
On April 8, 2021, DeltaV fired the 635-millimeter hybrid engine of the Sors Probe rocket for a vertical firing test. The Sors Probe rocket is scheduled to launch from Sinop in May 2021. The national and original hybrid rocket engine, which is planned to be used in the unmanned vehicle to be sent to the Moon on the same day, made its first ignition. It is stated that a new oxidizer is used in the hybrid engine, which is likely to be used for the moon mission. It was successful in the first test of the hybrid engine.
Industry and Technology Minister Mustafa Varank said,
We will meet our spacecraft with the Moon. In this sense, it is happy and proud for us to make the first ignition of the engine here.”
Minister Mustafa Varank visited Delta V’s Rocket Engine Ignition Facility in Şile, which develops national and unique hybrid rocket engines, with the accompanying delegation in order to see the work carried out in line with these goals.
The visit to Delta V began with a meeting. At the meeting, while the development of the spacecraft, which is planned to land hard on the Moon in 2023, was discussed, the ignition systems of hybrid rocket engines, high pressure composite tanks, valves and regulator systems were discussed in detail.
Industry and Technology Deputy Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacar, Defense Industry Executive Vice President and Delta V Chairman Faruk Yigit, BAYKAR Technical Manager Selcuk Bayraktar, President of TÜBİTAK Hasan Mandal, Turkey Space Agency (TUA) leader Serdar Huseyin Yildirim, TÜBİTAK Institute of Space Technology Director Mesut Gökten, TÜBİTAK SAGE Institute Director Gürcan Okumuş and Delta V General Manager Arif Karabeyoğlu attended the meeting.
At the end of the meeting, the delegation moved to the command center where rocket engines tests were conducted. After the security measures were taken, the countdown for firing was started. Firing test was carried out with the command of Minister Varank.
