Türkiye Completes Feasibility Study, Construction for Somalia Spaceport Commences
Türkiye has completed the necessary feasibility and design work for a spaceport it will establish in Somalia, and the first phase of construction has begun, Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacir announced on Tuesday. Once completed, this project will place Türkiye among the few countries in the world with its own launch sites.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan shared Türkiye’s plans to establish the spaceport during a joint press conference with Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud in Istanbul, following their meeting at the Dolmabahçe Presidential Office on December 30, 2025.
Work within the scope of the “Access to Space and Space Port” objective included in the National Space Program is being carried out under the coordination of the Ministry of Industry and Technology with contributions from relevant institutions and organisations, primarily the Turkish Space Agency (TUA).
According to information compiled by Anadolu Agency (AA), the project is being implemented under Türkiye’s National Space Program as part of the “Spaceport and Independent Access to Space” goal.
Read: Could an African Spaceport Be the Answer to Growing Launch Demand? Part One & Part Two
With the feasibility study and design stage complete, construction has begun in Somalia, which was selected due to its geographic and operational advantages. Locations near the Equator are preferred for rocket launches because Earth’s rotational speed is highest there, providing additional thrust and allowing rockets to reach orbit more efficiently with less fuel.
The spaceport offers Türkiye significant geographic and technological opportunities. Türkiye’s geographic surroundings could pose challenges for regular launches, while Somalia’s location makes it a suitable alternative. Security concerns can be addressed given the presence of a Turkish military base in Somalia.
The facility will be used both to launch Türkiye’s own rockets and to serve the global commercial space market. Furthermore, the port will become a strategic infrastructure that generates revenue for Türkiye through the annual expansion of commercial satellite launch services, testing activities, and integration processes, while also contributing to Somalia’s development. In later stages, the facility is expected to meet satellite launch demands from international customers.
The project also includes the development of domestic launch vehicles, research and development activities, and testing processes to ensure national capabilities in critical space technologies. Infrastructure, subsystems and equipment related to space technologies will be localised, aiming to eliminate foreign dependency in areas such as rocket engines, fuel technologies, propulsion systems, advanced materials, avionics, and ground support infrastructure.
Other Planned Projects Across Africa
Kenya is advancing the development of a commercial spaceport in Malindi under the Kenya Space Agency, designated as a priority Public-Private Partnership in the country’s Medium-Term Plan IV. The Project Concept Note was approved in April 2025, and the tender for a Transaction Advisor has been published.
In 2023, Djibouti signed a USD 1 billion MoU with Hong Kong Aerospace Technology Group and Touchroad International Holdings Group to build what would become Africa’s first orbital spaceport in the northern Obock region. The MoU lapsed after the parties failed to sign a formal contract within the designated three-month window. HKATG states it intends to continue conducting feasibility studies for the project.
In 2025, Mura Space formalised a partnership with Aerospace Systems Research Institute at the University of KwaZulu-Natal to commercialise ASRI’s sounding-rocket launch facility at the Overberg Test Range in the Western Cape, South Africa. Approved suborbital test launches will be permitted using both fixed and mobile infrastructure. Similarly, interest from Elon Musk and SpaceX in using Overberg for potential orbital and polar-orbit launches has drawn international attention to the site’s strategic value.