Türkiye’s METU plans ambitious homegrown lunar micro-rover launch in 2030

Türkiye's Middle East Technical University (METU) is planning to launch the homegrown lunar micro-rover 'Cheri' to the Moon in 2030, the rector told Anadolu.

Ahmet Yozgatligil, speaking on the sidelines of the 77th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) held in the southwestern province of Antalya, stated that the prototype of the rover has been completed and the craft is undergoing testing.

The Cheri project includes two autonomous vehicles powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and developed in collaboration with the China National Space Administration (CNSA).

The twin rovers were designed to operate in extreme cold and with limited sunlight at the lunar south pole, running simultaneously to conduct topographic studies and analyze rock samples via remote sensing.

"Our two Cheri rovers will work together and even take a 'selfie' of the mission, while carrying out mapping activities at the sites they discover, which we're very excited about," he said.

The prototype of the Cheri micro-rover was presented to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan by the head of the Higher Education Council (YOK), Erol Ozvar, during the opening ceremony of the national academic year.

"Over 120 of our students are working on this project alongside faculty members, while as a part of the EU's 'Go Space' program, our students are also focused on developing communications protocols for satellites in space, stations to be established on the lunar surface, and orbital stations," he said.

Yozgatligil noted that the faculty is also contributing to the space sector through initiatives like the Aselabs Program in collaboration with the defense firm Aselsan.

He mentioned that METU recently joined the microgravity research collaboration established between leading European and US universities, after signing a deal with Axiom Space.

"The most important international project we're carrying out is the METU Space Technology Park, which will be a hub for space sector research and commercialization activities," he added.

The premier aerospace event IAC 2026 kicked off on Monday and will run until Friday. It is co-hosted by the Turkish Space Agency (TUA) and SAHA Istanbul defense cluster and organized by the Industry and Technology Ministry. Anadolu serves as its global communications partner.