Newsletters
Türkiye's Middle East Technical University (METU) announced Saturday that it will send two domestically built lunar rovers to the moon’s south pole in 2029, in cooperation with China’s space agency.
The project, called Cheri, will deploy two artificial intelligence–driven micro rovers designed to navigate autonomously, create 3D maps, and transmit data back to Earth. METU says more than 80% of the vehicles’ components are locally manufactured, from sensors to wheels.
University rector Professor Ahmet Yozgatligil said the mission will mark a world first, as the two rovers are engineered to work interactively with one another while exploring and mapping the lunar surface. Around 50 faculty members and students are taking part in the program.
Cheri rovers are designed to endure temperatures ranging from 80 degrees Celsius during the day to minus 160 degrees at night. “We will put Türkiye’s signature on the lunar surface,” Yozgatligil said, adding that the country plans to send its own spacecraft to the Moon in the future.
METU officials also stressed that the technology developed for Cheri could be adapted for terrestrial uses, including disaster response and search-and-rescue operations in harsh environments. The mission’s findings may also contribute to the study of water reserves and mineral resources on the moon.
2 min read
